Apricot baby food is the secret sauce ingredient in these succulent smoked ribs
This recipe is reprinted with permission from Carnivore: A Butcher’s Secrets for Perfectly Cooked Meats by Dominique Rioux. Click here to read our detailed review of this cookbook.
Spareribs + Baby-Cue Sauce + Apricots
Makes:
Serves 3 calm people or 2 less calm people or 1 not-at-all calm personTakes:
Equipment
- Wood chips
- Spray bottle
- foil
- Basting brush
Ingredients
Ribs
- 1 rack St. Louis-style pork spareribs (side ribs, center cut)
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened apple juice
- 1/4 cup butter, cut in 4 thin slice (60 ml)
Baby Cue Sauce
- 2 jars apricot baby food (each 4 ounces/128 ml)
- 1/2 cup chili sauce (125 ml)
- 1/3 cup white vinegar (80 ml)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (125 ml)
- 2 garlic cloves shoots removed, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml)
- Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Rub
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (60 ml)
- 1/4 cup smoked paprika (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper (15 ml)
- 2 tablespoons onion salt (30 ml)
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt (30 ml)
- 2 teaspoons celery salt (10 ml)
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
Ribs
- If necessary, square off the ribs by cutting the sternebrae (breastbone segments) to get an even rectangular piece. Remove the white membrane from the back of the ribs (silverskin). Let sit at room temperature on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the smoker or barbecue to 275°F (135°C) and set up to cook over indirect heat. Once the smoker or barbecue temperature has been reached, add your choice of smoking wood.
Baby-cue sauce
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, cook all the ingredients for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until brown sugar is dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Rub
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients well.
- Season the ribs with 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the rub and place them on the grill.
- Fill the spray bottle with apple juice, reserving 2 tablespoons (30 ml).
- Smoke the ribs over indirect heat for about 2 hours or until nicely browned and smoked. Spray with apple juice as needed so the ribs don’t dry out.
- On a large sheet of foil, arrange the slices of butter in a line. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the rub and the 2 tablespoons (30 ml) reserved apple juice. Place the ribs meat side down on the butter (bone side up) and close up the foil to make a pouch. Cover with another layer of foil to seal as tightly as possible.
- Return the meat to the smoker and continue cooking over indirect heat for about 2 hours or until you can see the meat pulling away from the ends of the bones (check by carefully opening the pouch) and the internal temperature of meat reaches 205°F (96°C).
- Unwrap the ribs, put them back on the grill, then increase the temperature of the smoker to 300°F (150°C). With a brush, baste with baby-cue sauce to taste and smoke for about 1 hour.
Nutrition per Serving
Permissions and credits
Courtesy of Carnivore by Dominique Rioux © 2025 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold.
Published originally in French (Canada) under the title: Carnivore — Secrets de boucherie pour des cuissons parfaits © 2025, Les Éditions de l’Homme, a division of Groupe Sogides inc., a subsidiary of Québecor Media inc. (Montréal, Québec, Canada)
English translation © 2025, Robert Rose Inc
Photography: Ariel Tarr
Cover and graphic design: Clémence Beaudoin
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