Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Black Currant BBQ Sauce & Smoked Brie
This recipe is all about the mix of sweet and savoury: smoked baby back ribs with a sweet black currant bbq sauce with a side of smoked Brie for dipping. Yes, you heard that right, the ribs get dipped into the melted smoked Brie and it is a sweet and savoury bomb of flavour. The bbq sauce is so simple to make, just melt some butter and mix with brown sugar, soy sauce, black pepper, molasses, balsamic vinegar and black currant jam. The brie goes into the smoker for a nice light smoked flavour and is topped with chopped almonds and dried cranberries and orange zest. The trick is to pull back some of the skin of the top layer of the brie so the melty insides are exposed, it helps the toppings stick and makes it easier to just dip those ribs right in and get some delicious brie in each bite.
I used baby back ribs specifically because they tend to be a bit more curved and also smaller than side ribs - perfect for creating that ring around the brie, and a grab-able dish for sharing. Back ribs also tend to be meatier and more tender, also making them a bit more expensive, but since this dish is meant for entertaining and sharing, why not splurge a little. I started my ribs off with a salt, black pepper and brown sugar rub. The black pepper, both in the rub and in the bbq sauce, is used to contrast all the sweet flavours; helping to balance the dish out. The ribs go in the smoker, uncovered, for 1-1.5 hours and then are taken out, bathed in the black currant bbq sauce, double wrapped and go back into the smoker for another 1-1.5 hours. The results are deliciously tender, sweet, smoky, sticky ribs. If you want to find out how to make my Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Black Currant BBQ Sauce and Smoked Brie, keep reading, or jump to the full recipe.
Set your smoker to 250F-275F. Remove the silverskin from your baby back ribs and drizzle with canola oil.
In a bowl, mix salt, black pepper and half a cup brown sugar for your rub; apply generously to all sides of your ribs. Place in the smoker for 1-1.5 hours.
To make your bbq sauce, melt half a pound of butter. In a bowl, add half a cup brown sugar, soy sauce, molasses, black pepper and add in the melted butter while it’s still hot. Whisk together.
Add in the black currant jam, whisk. Add in the balsamic vinegar, whisk.
On your work surface, set up a large piece of aluminum foil with a piece of parchment paper on top. Once your ribs have been smoking for 1-1.5 hours, remove from the smoker and place on the parchment, cover in your bbq sauce.
Wrap the ribs first in the parchment paper and then in the aluminum foil, place back in the smoker for another 1.5-2 hours.
Chop your almonds and dried cranberries and place in a bowl, set aside.
Place the wheel of Brie in the smoker on a piece of parchment paper, smoke for 20 minutes, or until it starts to soften.
Remove your ribs from the smoker once done and cut up. Place on a plate or board in a circle with space in the middle for the brie.
Place the Brie in the centre of the ribs and using tongs or a knife, pull back the top layer of skin on the Brie, allowing the melted cheese to ooze out.
Top the brie with the almonds and dried cranberries. Warm up your left over bbq sauce and pour over the ribs.
Garnish with orange zest, grab a rib and dip it into the melted Brie and dig in.
And now for the full recipe...
Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Black Currant BBQ Sauce and Smoked Brie
Serves 2-4 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
2 racks baby back ribs
For the rub:
¼ cup Salt
¼ cup black Pepper
½ cup Brown sugar
Black Currant BBQ Sauce:
½ lb butter, melted
½ cup Brown sugar
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp Pepper
3 tbsp Black currant jam
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 wheel Brie
10-12 roasted Almonds
2-3 tbsp Dried cranberries
1 tsp orange zest
How to Make it:
Set smoker to 250F-275F.
Remove the silverskin from your baby back ribs and drizzle with canola oil. In a bowl, mix salt, black pepper and half a cup brown sugar for your rub; apply generously to all sides of your ribs. Place in the smoker for 1-1.5 hours.
To make your bbq sauce, melt half a pound of butter. In a bowl, add half a cup brown sugar, soy sauce, molasses, black pepper and add in the melted butter while it’s still hot. Whisk together. Add in the black currant jam, whisk. Add in the balsamic vinegar, whisk.
On your work surface, set up a large piece of alumimum foil with a piece of parchment paper on top. Once your ribs have been smoking for 1-1.5 hours, remove from the smoker and place on the parchment, cover in your bbq sauce. Wrap the ribs first in the parchment paper and then in the aluminum foil, place back in the smoker for another 1.5-2 hours.
Chop your almonds and dried cranberries and place in a bowl, set aside.
Place the wheel of Brie in the smoker on a piece of parchment paper, smoke for 20 minutes, or until it starts to soften.
Remove your ribs from the smoker once done and cut up. Place on a plate or board in a circle with space in the middle for the brie. Place the Brie in the centre of the ribs and using tongs or a knife, pull back the top layer of skin on the Brie, allowing the melted cheese to ooze out. Top the brie with the almonds and dried cranberries. Warm up your left over bbq sauce and pour over the ribs. Garnish with orange zest. Grab a rib and dip it into the melted Brie and dig in.
