It’s “game on” when it comes to creating tender, mouthwatering smoked venison spareribs, featuring a flavorful coffee dry rub
Petite in size but big in taste, venison ribs are a great change of pace from pork ribs, even for those who might be hesitant to try game meat for the first time. Why? According to T. Edward Nickens in the December 2009 issue of Field & Stream magazine, “because venison is low in fat. Because it can be obtained relatively cheaply. Because it is free of the pharmacological stew of growth hormones, antibiotics, and antifungals fed or injected into commercial livestock.” Plus it tastes good!
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To complement the meat’s rich and mildly gamey taste, this grilling recipe starts with a robust coffee-based dry rub. Next, we smoke the ribs until they are mouthwateringly tender. Finally, the ribs are brushed with a simple coffee BBQ sauce to balance all of the flavors.
Smoked Venison Ribs with Coffee Dry Rub Recipe
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Method
- Prep. For the rub, combine the ground coffee, brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, ground fennel, granulated garlic, and onion powder in a small bowl and blend well.
- Remove the membrane from the ribs (read more on removing the membrane here).
- Season the ribs with kosher salt. If you can, give the salt 1 to 2 hours to be absorbed. The process of salting in advance is called dry brining. The rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, but ribs are about 50% meat, so use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound. You can simply eyeball it by sprinkling on the same amount of salt you would sprinkle on the ribs if they were served to you unsalted.
- Fire up. Prepare a smoker for indirect cooking. Alternatively, you can set up a charcoal grill for 2-zone cooking by placing a chimney full of pre-heated charcoal briquets on one side of the grill's charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Adjust the smoker or grill vents to bring the temperature to about 225°F (107°C) and add 2 to 3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal for flavor. On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs so that one half of the grill is off and the other half is heated enough to maintain a temperature of approximately 225°F (105°C) on the indirect side.
- Cook. Once the smoker or grill is ready, brush both sides of ribs with mayonnaise and season with the coffee dry rub mixture.
- Place both racks of ribs on the main cooking grate as far away from the heat source as possible. Set the lid on the grill with the fully opened top vent positioned directly above the ribs in order to force the smoke over and around the meat. Allow the ribs to smoke until the meat is tender and has significantly pulled away from the bones, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Doctor the sauce. As the ribs smoke, combine the BBQ sauce and coffee in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. Allow the sauce to simmer for approximately 5 minutes until it has thickened slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside until ready to use.
- Baste. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, baste both sides of the ribs with the coffee BBQ sauce and cover the grill so the sauce can become tacky.
- Serve. Remove the ribs from the grill, slice, and serve immediately with the remaining BBQ sauce.
