Thai Style Smoked Side Ribs

Although these Thai-style ribs require a 4-hour cook time, they’re simple to execute and result in a deeply smokey and delicious treat. Served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, these smoked ribs are the perfect accompaniment for a day out in the sun.
Difficulty:
3/5
Prep time:
30 min
Cook time:
4-4.5 h
Serves:
6-8

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 lbs. pork side ribs (about 2 racks)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, plus another ¼ cup for glazing
  • ¼ cup Chinese cooking wine or Sake
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2-inches ginger, grated or minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons hot water

PEANUT CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

  • ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
  • a small handful of Thai basil and/or cilantro, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Marinate pork side ribs overnight in a large Ziploc bag. Combine ¼ cup of maple syrup with ingredients from cooking wine to ground cinnamon.
  2. Preheat pellet smoker to 275°F, about 30 minutes, making sure the pellet hopper is full.
  3. Combine the remaining ¼ cup of maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside.
  4. When the smoker is preheated, transfer marinated side ribs onto the grids and cook for an initial 2 hours, flipping occasionally.
  5. At the 1 ½ hour mark, brush maple syrup and water mixture onto ribs with Broil King’s basting brush, flipping and brushing every 10 minutes or so until the 2 hours have elapsed.
  6. Wrap ribs in aluminum foil or transfer them into a Broil King rib roaster and cook for another 2 hours, until tender. Cook longer if you prefer American fall-off-the-bone tender.
  7. As the ribs are cooking, whisk together ingredients for the peanut chili dipping sauce.
  8. Transfer cooked ribs to a cutting board and slice into individual ribs. Transfer to a large serving plate and serve with peanut chili dipping sauce and some cold beers.

Recipe Styling & Development by Jannell Lo
Photography by Jessica Kalman