Smoked ribs get a sweet makeover today with a crunchy layer of bruleed sugar, creating the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

SMOKED BRULEED RIBS 

Ingredients

2 racks St. Louis spare ribs

2 tbsp. yellow mustard

Your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning

3/4 cups sugar, seperated

2 tbsp. water

Additional Tools

1 kitchen blowtorch  

Instructions

Prepare smoker of grill* for indirect cooking.  Add 3-4 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal briquets and adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to 250 degrees. 

Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs.  Rub the ribs with the mustard then season both sides liberally with BBQ dry rub.  Place the ribs on the smoker or grill. 

Cover and allow the ribs to smoke for approximately 5-5.5 hours until tender (note: when done, ribs will pull away from the bone slightly and will bend at a 45 degree angle when held with tongs). 

Remove the ribs from the smoker and set on a sheet pan or wooden cutting board.  Combine 1/2 cup sugar and water in a small bowl and blend well to make a sugary paste.  Use a pastry brush to coat the top side of the ribs with the sugar mixture (note: add a small amount of water to the mixture if the mixture doesn't spread evenly).

Sprinkle remaining sugar over the top of the ribs then use a kitchen torch to heat the sugar until is begins to boil but before it begins to burn.  

Allow the sugar to cool completely (the sugar should create a hard shell on the ribs if properly bruleed.  If note, simply torch the sugar for another 1-2 minutes).  Slice and serve the ribs immediately.  

* For indirect cooking on the grill, place a water filled aluminum half pan in the center of the charcoal grate and place preheated charcoal briquets on each side of the pan.  Set ribs directly above the water pan and adjust the vents according to the recipe.