New England Style Smoked Baby Back Ribs Recipe

You might be wondering about New England style ribs. We often link baby back ribs with southern U.S. cuisine, yet pigs arrived in both northern and southern ports. Pork is valued in the north just as much. This recipe embraces New England's flavors and ingredients.

Abundance of New England

The northeast is known for foods that thrive in its cold winters and humid summers. Maple trees yield sweet syrup, while apple trees offer cider, applesauce, vinegar, and more. Bogs provide tart cranberries, and summers bring wild blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and sweet corn. Autumn showcases winter squash, cabbage, pumpkins, and onions. Boston's love for baked beans and molasses-rich brown bread is also worth noting.

All these complement pork well. In this recipe, we create sticky, sweet, tangy ribs with maple, molasses, blueberry, and apple. Classic side dishes incorporate maple, molasses, and apple, starring cabbage and beans. Local ingredients unite everything.

For smoky bark, charcoal cook the ribs. An Electric Smoker is equally effective if a lengthy fire-tending process isn't preferred.

 

New England Style Smoked Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Ingredients:

4 racks of baby back ribs, approximately 2 pounds each

Dry rub

• 3 TBS maple or brown sugar
• 3 TBS course sea salt
• 3 TBS paprika
• 2 TBS freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard

Sauce

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, preferably unfiltered
• 1/2 cup good maple syrup
• 1 TBS molasses
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water, if needed
• Maple or apple wood chips
• Apple cider in a spray bottle
• Water or water and dark beer for smoking

 

PREP TIME 30 min

Smoke TIME 4 hour 30 min

TOTAL TIME 5 hours

 

Serves:4 people

Directions:

1. Lay ribs on a clean surface, meat side down. Use a paring knife to slice and remove the chewy membrane covering the rib bones. Grip the cut end with a paper towel and peel the membrane off. Alternatively, ask your butcher for trimmed ribs.
2. Mix dry rub ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Rub the mixture onto all sides of the ribs. Set aside for about 30 minutes to reach room temperature.
3. Make the barbeque sauce while ribs rest. Combine all sauce ingredients except water in a pot over high heat. Bring to boil, then simmer while stirring until sauce thickens. Add water if needed. Cool the sauce, blend it until smooth, and refrigerate.
4. Prepare the smoker.
   a) For Charcoal Smoker: Set up for indirect smoking. Soak wood chips for 60 minutes. Light coals using chimney, placing them on one side of the grill. Add soaked wood chips on coals. Close lid, open top vent, and reach 225°F to 250°F.
   b) For Electric Smoker: Add maple or apple wood chips to side tray. Fill water bowl halfway with dark beer and water. Preheat smoker to 225°F, with top vent open.
5. Place ribs, meat side up, on smoker's wire racks. If large, cut and arrange to fit. Smoke for 3.5 hours, spraying with apple cider every 45 minutes. Add coals, liquid, and wood chips as needed.
6. After 3.5 hours, baste ribs with half of blueberry sauce. Smoke for 1-2 more hours until meat pulls back from bones and is tender.
7. Transfer ribs to cutting board, baste with remaining sauce, tent with foil, and rest. Cut and serve on platter with sides. Start beans an hour before ribs to finish together.

 

Easy Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 cups canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 TBS molasses
• 2 tsps dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 

PREP TIME 10 min

COOK TIME 6 hours

TOTAL TIME 6 hour 10 min

Serves: 4 people

Directions:

1.Preheat an oven to 250°F.

2.2. In a Dutch oven with a lid or a large casserole baking dish, combine all ingredients. Add enough water to just cover the beans.

3.Cover the dish with a lid or tin foil. Bake for 5 hours. Remove the lid and bake for another hour or until the liquid is completely absorbed.
4.Serve with the ribs.

Cabbage and Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 3 cups prepared green cabbage, shredded using a box grater or a food processor
• 1 cup prepared carrots, shredded using a box grater or a food processor
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large unpeeled red apple, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced

PREP TIME 15 min

Serves 4 people

TOTAL TIME 15 min

Directions:

1.Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, celery salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and carrots. Toss to combine well. Add the apple slices and toss gently.

2.Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve with the ribs and beans.