Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Blueberry BBQ Sauce Recipe

Rating 5.0
| 2
These smoked baby back ribs are paired with a flavorful blueberry barbecue sauce and a refreshing apple and fennel slaw. It’s the quintessential summertime meal.
Utensils Dinner
Globe New American
28
ingredients
11
steps
49
minutes
An accomplished chef and world traveler, Chef Greg has much to offer in the culinary landscape. With over 20 years of experience, Chef Greg prides himself on his ability to craft creative and inventive fare that exceeds expectations, while providing a service that goes above and beyond. Chef Greg has opened restaurants in London, studied under top chefs, and prepared meals for royalty.

Ingredients

Servings:
4
For the Smoked Baby Back Ribs
3 tblsp
brown sugar
1 tblsp
kosher salt
1 tsp
fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp
chili powder
2 tsp
garlic powder
2 tsp
onion powder
2 tblsp
smoked paprika
1/2 tsp
cinnamon
1
orange, zested
2
racks of baby back ribs
For the Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
2
nora chiles
2
guajillo chiles
2
pasilla chiles
3 tblsp
olive oil
1
onion, chopped
3
garlic cloves, chopped
2
punnets of blueberries, see notes 1
1/4 cup(s)
granulated sugar
1/4 cup(s)
white wine vinegar
1
dried bay leaf
salt, to taste
For the Apple and Fennel Slaw
1
Granny Smith apple, shredded
1
fennel bulb, shredded
1/2
napa cabbage, shredded
1 tsp
granulated sugar
1
lemon, zested and juiced
1
bunch of parsley, chopped
1/4 cup(s)
extra-virgin olive oil

Directions 11 steps | 49 Minutes

Step 1

Preheat the smoker to 250°F. Prepare the ribs. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon and the zest of an orange. Mix until well combined. 

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Step 2

Spread the rub evenly on all sides of the ribs. Place the rubbed ribs in the smoker for 2 hours. 

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Step 3

While the ribs are smoking, make the blueberry barbecue sauce. In a dry pan over medium heat, add the nora, guajillo and pasilla chiles. Toast the chiles until fragrant. Remove the toasted chiles from the pan and set them aside. 

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Step 4

Add olive oil, onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion and garlic start to take on color. 

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Step 5

Add the blueberries, sugar, white wine vinegar, bay leaf and the reserved toasted chiles back to the pan. 

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Step 6

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

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Step 7

Transfer the barbecue sauce into the jar of a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. 

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Step 8

Transfer the barbecue sauce back into the pan and continue to simmer over low heat for another 10-20 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.  The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.  If it gets too thick, you can always thin it out with a little water.

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Step 9

Prepare the apple and fennel slaw. In a large bowl, add the shredded apple, fennel, napa cabbage, sugar, lemon zest and juice, chopped parsley and extra-virgin olive oil. Toss until well combined. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. Stir and season to taste with salt. Set it aside until ready to use. 

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Step 10

After the ribs are done smoking, remove the ribs from the smoker and preheat the oven to 300°F. Cover the ribs in the prepared bbq sauce and wrap in foil. Cook the ribs for an additional 1½-2 hours until they are super tender. 

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Step 11

Serve with extra blueberry barbecue sauce and fennel slaw. Enjoy!

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Notes:

  1. 2 punnets of blueberries are equal to approximately 2 cups or 300 grams of blueberries.

Nutrition Per Serving
View All
CALORIES
1622
FAT
112.9 g
PROTEIN
106.5 g
CARBS
49.7 g

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2 Comments
2 Comments
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Robyn B.

Robyn

05 Oct 2022

I LOVE blueberries--anything blueberry. When it comes to ribs, though, I can usually take them or leave them. But combine the two together and I'm suddenly saying, 'Hey, let's do those blueberry ribs this weekend!' A very impressive dish to bring out for guests, too.

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Carmela G.

Carmela

15 Aug 2022

This is an absolute must try recipe of Smoked Baby Back Ribs. Packed with flavors and perfect to serve to family and friends. Easy to recreate with its step by step instructions.

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