Sweet, Spicy & Sticky Asian Ribs

Note: If you have a favorite method for smoking/grilling your baby back ribs, use that with this rub and sauce. There’s no need to cook the ribs the way I did. Also, you can certainly roast the ribs in an oven, but you may have to adjust the cook time.

About 4 hours before you want to serve, start your smoker or grill and prepare for indirect cooking over a medium fire (275-300ºF). I cooked over straight Kingsford Original briquets with no smoke wood.

Combine the rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk well until all of the ingredients are combined. Season both sides of each slab of ribs evenly with the rub. I put more on the meat side than the bone side.

Note: You can season the ribs ahead of time, but no more than an hour before you’re ready to start cooking.

Smoke/grill the ribs over indirect heat until a toothpick inserted between the bones has very little resistance. The cook time is approximately 3 hours at an average temperature of 300ºF. However, every hog and cooker are different, so use the timing as merely a guideline. The toothpick test is your friend.

While the ribs are cooking, make the glaze. Follow the instructions for the Finger Stickin’ Chicken Sauce (in my TastyKitchen recipe box) then whisk in the remaining glaze ingredients at the end. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove the ribs from the cooker and coat both sides of each slab with a light coating of the glaze. Return the ribs to the grill/smoker and cook over indirect heat for another 10 minutes. Pay close attention because the glaze will burn easily. You just want it to caramelize slightly.

Remove the ribs from the cooker and coat both sides of each slab with a generous coating of the glaze.

Cut the ribs between the bones, then plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onion for garnish.

Serve and enjoy!