BARBECUE BACON RIBS BIG GREEN EGG

BARBECUE 

by Miss Kristi-Lou

These are so darn delicious, lip smackingly gorgeous, melt in the mouth bacon seasoned ribs.  The flavours are further elevated with a molasses maple Jack Daniels honey sopping sauce applied regularly for the last hour of cooking.

Don’t be tempted to cook the whole rack of belly loin ribs as one slab, the smoke ring and flavour is no where near as flavourful as cooking the bacon ribs individually.  The individual ribs get flavour all around the surface maximising the awesomeness of eating these.

Big Green Egg

Cooking temperature 150 C / 300 F

Time 3 - 4 hours

Brine time 5-7 days depending on size of ribs

Hickory wood chips un-soaked (less is more on this cook)

Love my Big Green Egg…

So simple to fire up, honestly just light and walk away, ready to cook in 15 minutes and can with good air flow temperature control cook for a minimum of 12 hours low and slow!  Once you’ve finished cooking, shut down the air vents and the remaining coals will be extinguished and can be used again.

This is the cut of meat you want from the butchers, a belly end loin with the ribs attached.  It is important to take the silver skin off the back of the ribs, place a thin tipped knife in under the this silver skin at the base of the rib bone and lever up, with a paper towel take hold of the skin and peel off the ribs.

Follow the bone and individual cut each rib.

 

The Brine 

4 ltrs cold water

1 cup sea salt

Heat 1 litre of the water, take off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, stir until dissolved, add this to the rest of the cold water and stir well.  Once completely cool pour into a container that will allow the ribs to be submerged and has a lid.  Add the ribs and place the container in the fridge for 5-7 days depending on the size of the ribs.

Let’s get rubbing!  

Barbecue Spice Rub

7 tbsp dark brown molasses sugar

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp dried chipotle flakes

1 tbsp dried ancho flakes

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

(1 bottle American hot dog mustard) 

Combine all ingredients together evenly, store in a glass air tight ball mason jar, this rub will last for 3 months ensuring the best flavours.

The Jack Daniels Maple Sopping Sauce

200ml Jack Daniels 

300ml maple syrup

50 ml molasses 

1 tbsp tamarind or lime juice

3 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients until the honey is incorporated.

The Bacon Ribs Out of Brine

Remove the ribs from the brine and rinse several time really well, then leave to soak for 1 hour in fresh cold water.  Remove and pat dry.

Rub the American mustard all over the ribs, then generously rub the barbecue spice all over the ribs.  Now your ready to cook.

Place the ribs in your barbecue or smoker and maintain the temperature at 150 C / 300 F.  Add some hickory wood to the coals to add that smoke flavour and just let the barbecue take charge and do it’s thing.

At 2 hours turn the ribs and sop with the Jack Daniels sopping sauce.

Sop the ribs every 20 minutes generously, at 3 hours check for tenderness, the meat should have shrunk off the bone and be fall apart tender but just hanging on to the bone.  If not, cook on and check every 15 minutes as they won’t be far away.

That’s it enjoy with family and friends.