My smoker is called Mr Smokerson. I went through a phase of smoking everything, such as ribs, chickens, duck, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts... there was always something on the go. I have calmed down a bit now, but if you are new to smoking, then these ribs are a good place to start as they are cheap, small and hard to get wrong. They are soft, smoky, sweet and delicious.
SERVES 2
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp marmalade
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf, crushed
• 350g pork belly ribs, bone in
EQUIPMENT
• smoker
• apple wood chips
• meat thermometer or meat probe
Mix the paprika, marmalade, mustard powder and pepper together in a bowl, then add the crushed bay leaf. Rub this mix all over the ribs.
Light your smoker and bring the temperature up to about 115°C or 240°F (a lot of smoker instructions are in Fahrenheit) and smoke for 4 hours, keeping the temperature between 98–115°C or 210–240°F. Follow the instructions of whatever smoker you own: start with the vents open and close them down as it reaches temperature to keep in the heat and prevent it burning out too quickly. It is best to open and close them as little as possible, as you will lose smoke and heat every time you do.
I add a large handful of apple wood chips at the same time as the meat goes in; this is when it will absorb the smoky flavour as there is no crust on the meat yet.
Look out for the ‘stall’, which occurs when the meat reaches around 70°C. This is when the fat starts to break down and takes a lot of energy; no rise in temperature can happen for ages and you can start to flap, but just wait, the temperature will eventually get through the stall, having broken down the fat, and keep on rising.
The ribs should reach an internal temperature of around 89°C, which is when the meat has cooked, the fat has broken down and a good smoky crust has formed. Serve with mustard, coleslaw and buns.
NOTES
You don’t necessarily need a smoker to make these: to cook them in the oven, preheat to160°C/325°F/Gas 3,. put the ribs in a roasting tray, pour in half a bottle of beer and cook for 21/2 hours, covered with foil.