Live the Live ™

Since it’s National Bourbon Day, let’s not just drink some bourbon…let’s cook with it!

This recipe uses a smoker. If you don’t have one, or just don’t want all the smoke, start with aper-heated oven at 250° and go from there.

 

5 lbs St Louis style pork ribs
Salt and pepper

 

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup bourbon (use whatever you have on hand)
zest and juice of 1 lime
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use Maille)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili oil

Season the ribs well with salt and pepper and cook in a smoker for 3 hours at 250°, using hickory chips.

While the ribs are smoking, combine the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, bringing it to a boil, then lowering to medium heat and reducing the sauce by half until it thickens. Stir often, being careful not to let the honey foam up and spill over the top.

Pre-heat the oven at 250°.

Remove the ribs from the smoker and place them on a sheet pan that is lined with aluminum foil, with enough foil to wrap around the ribs. Brush the ribs on all sides with the sauce, stacking no more than 2 sets of ribs on top of each other, and then wrap them with foil.

Cook the ribs in the foil for 2 more hours, until tender.

 

 

 

 

Since I’m busy tasting many bourbons these days, I’ve got some leftovers that may not make a great cocktail but would work great for a sauce. I had Maker’s Mark sitting around, so I came up with this sauce to use it up!

 Ingredients:

5 lbs St Louis style pork ribs

salt and pepper

 

For the sauce: 

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup bourbon

zest and juice of 1 lime

zest and juice of 1 lemon

zest and juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use Maille)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon chili oil

Season the ribs well with salt and pepper and cook in a smoker for 3 hours at 25o degrees, using hickory chips.

While ribs are smoking, combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat and reduce the sauce by half until it thickens. Stir often, and don’t let the honey foam up and spill over the top.

Pre-heat oven at 250 degrees.

Remove ribs from the smoker and place in a sheet pan that is lined with aluminum foil, with enough foil to wrap around the ribs. Brush the ribs on all sides with the sauce, stacking no more than 2 sets of ribs on top of each other, and then wrap with foil.

Cook in the foil for 2 more hours, until tender.