Maple Cayenne Glazed Ribs
These Maple Cayenne Glazed Ribs are smoked low and slow over applewood, then finished with a sticky homemade glaze made with maple syrup, honey, vinegar, and cayenne.
Ingredients
- 3 rack Spare ribs
- Mustard for a binder
- 9 tbsp Unsalted butter
Dry Rub
- ½ cup Dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- 2 tsp Dry mustard powder
- 2 tsp Cayenne powder
Maple Cayenne Glaze
- 1 cup Maple syrup
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Maple vinegar
- 2 tsp White vinegar
- 2 tsp Cayenne
Instructions
- Remove the membrane from the ribs and trim away any silver skin. Pat the ribs dry, then coat them with mustard.
- Combine the brown sugar, black pepper, kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and cayenne. Generously season both sides of the ribs.
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F and add applewood for smoke.
- Place the ribs on the smoker and cook for 3–4 hours. After the first 90 minutes, spritz with apple cider vinegar. Continue spritzing every 45–60 minutes.
- Once the bark is set and the ribs reach about 160–170°F internally, remove them from the smoker.
- Spritz the inside of three sheets of butcher paper with apple cider vinegar. Place one rack of ribs bone-side up on each sheet. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to each rack and wrap tightly.
- Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker and cook for another 90–120 minutes. Keep the smoker at 225°F or increase it to 250°F if needed.
- Near the end of the wrapped cooking time, combine the maple syrup, ketchup, maple vinegar, white vinegar, honey, cayenne, and 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Simmer the glaze for 6–8 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and open the butcher paper, leaving the ribs sitting on the paper. Brush the ribs generously with the maple cayenne glaze.
- Return the ribs to the smoker uncovered for 25–30 minutes to set the glaze.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 1715kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 72gFat: 130gSaturated Fat: 49gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 45gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 424mgSodium: 1620mgPotassium: 1376mgFiber: 2gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 1868IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 5mg
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