- Transfer the ribs to a cutting board.
Brush the racks on both sides with
cherry syrup one final time. You can
serve the racks whole, cut in half, or
cut into individual bones. Serve any
remaining syrup on the side.
lumps in the brown sugar with your
fingers.
- Sprinkle 1 to IV2 tablespoons of the
rub on both sides of the ribs, rubbing
it into the meat with your fingertips.
(This makes more rub than you’ll need
for this recipe; store the excess in a
sealed jar away from heat and light.
It will keep for several weeks.)
Variation
SMOKE-ROASTED CHERRY-
GLAZED BABY BACKS- Set up your smoker following the
manufacturer’s instructions and
preheat to 225° to 250°F. Add the
wood as specified by the manufacturer.- Prepare and rub the ribs as
described in Steps 1 and 2 in the
previous recipe. Set up your grill
for smoke-roasting (indirect grilling—
see page 262) and preheat to 325°F.
Place the ribs in a rib rack over the
drip pan between the mounds of coals.
- Prepare and rub the ribs as
- Place the ribs directly on the rack
in the smoker, bone side down. If
space is limited, use a rib rack to
smoke them vertically. Smoke the
ribs until browned and almost tender,
3 hours. - Smoke-roast (indirect-grill) the
ribs until browned and almost tender,
1 hour. Brush with cherry syrup.
Continue smoke-roasting the ribs
until cooked (follow the doneness
tests in Step 7), another 15 to 30
minutes. Glaze once or twice more
during cooking. Give the ribs a final
glaze, then carve and serve them as
described previously. - Brush the racks of ribs on both
sides with cherry syrup. Continue
smoking until very tender, V2 to 1 hour
more. Baste the ribs twice during the
last hour—the cherry syrup should
cook to a sticky glaze. - There are three ways to check
for doneness: The meat will have
shrunk back from the end of the
bones by Va to V2 inch. When you lift
a whole rack with tongs, it will bend
like a bow and start to break. And you
should be able to pull the individual
ribs apart with your fingers.