Best Bourbon Plum Glazed Smoked Pork Ribs Recipe
This blog post is sponsored by New Canaan Farms. Thank you for supporting the brand that makes this blog possible. Use coupon SYLWIA10 at checkout for 10% off.
Smoked pork ribs are one of those things that look intimidating but are mostly just a game of patience. You put them on, you wait, you glaze, you wait a little more. What actually makes the difference is what you season them with and what you finish them with.
This Bourbon Plum Glazed version uses a Polish-inspired dry rub built around marjoram, caraway, and allspice. Big flavor, approachable technique.
No fussing over complicated techniques. Just good ribs with a flavor profile that feels genuinely different.
Quick Look at this Recipe:
Looking for more smoker recipes?
How is this recipe different?
- I used New Canaan Farms Bourbon Molasses Glaze
- I use New Canaan Farms Plum Jam
- I used a Polish-inspired dry rub with marjoram, caraway, and allspice.
Key Ingredients, Variations, and Substitutions
St. Louis-cut spare ribs – this cut is the best choice for smoking. It’s trimmed into a neat rectangular rack with consistent thickness, which means the slab of ribs cooks more evenly than baby back ribs. They have more fat running through them, and that fat renders slowly, keeping the meat moist and building a better bark. Baby back ribs can be used here, but they’re leaner and will cook faster. Plan for about an hour less total smoke time.
Dried marjoram – this is the herb that makes Polish pork taste Polish. It’s softer and slightly sweeter than oregano, with a floral, almost piney warmth. Don’t skip it and don’t replace it with oregano. If you truly can’t find it, a small amount of dried thyme is the closest substitute, but the flavor will shift noticeably.
NCF Texas Plum Jam is the base of the glaze. It’s fruity, jammy, and not overly sweet. If you can’t find this specific product, a good-quality plum jam or preserve works as your homemade glaze base. Avoid anything too sugary, or it will scorch during the glaze passes.
NCF Bourbon Molasses Sauce adds depth, smokiness, and a boozy backbone to the glaze without making it taste like a cocktail. If you don’t have it, stir together a tablespoon of molasses with a splash of bourbon, or use smoked maple syrup as a substitute.
Fresh plums – halved and placed on the grill or smoker for the last few minutes. They soften slightly, pick up some char. You can skip them if they’re out of season, but when they are in season, use them.
Other ingredients: Oil, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, allspice, caraway seeds, apple cider vinegar
Equipment you will need
- Smoker or pellet grill
- Wood chips or wood chunks (applewood or cherry) or pellets
- Aluminum foil
- Small saucepan
- Basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
Top Tips
Crush the caraway before it goes on the rub – a quick press with the flat side of a knife or a few seconds in a mortar is all it takes. Whole seeds stay whole and don’t contribute much flavor to a bark.
Let the rub sit – if you can season the ribs the night before and let them rest uncovered in the fridge, the rub will penetrate deeper and the surface will dry out slightly, which helps with bark formation. Even 30 minutes of rest before they go on makes a difference.
Don’t rush the wrap – the foil wrap phase (the Texas crutch) is where the ribs go from tough to tender. You’re essentially braising them inside the foil with their own steam. Pull them out too early and they’ll be chewy. You want to feel some give when you gently press the top of the rack through the foil.
Glaze twice – one glaze pass gives you a thin, shiny coating. Two passes, with 15 to 20 minutes between them, builds up a sticky, lacquered layer that clings to every edge. That’s what you’re going for.
Taste the glaze before it goes on – the sweetness of the jam and the saltiness of the drippings will vary. A small taste before you brush it on lets you adjust with a bit more vinegar if it needs brightness or another spoonful of jam if it needs sweetness.
Rest the ribs before cutting – five to ten minutes under a loose foil tent after they come off the smoker lets the juices redistribute. Cutting immediately means losing that moisture to the cutting board.
Step-by-step instructions
- Remove the ribs from the fridge about 30 to 45 minutes before they go on the smoker, so they’re closer to room temperature.
- Flip the rack bone-side up. Slide a butter knife under the silverskin membrane along the bones, then grab it with a paper towel for a better grip and pull it off in one strip. This step is worth doing. The membrane turns tough and papery when smoked, blocking the rub from reaching the meat underneath.
- Rub the neutral oil over both sides of the rack. This acts as a binder, helping the rub adhere without altering the flavor.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of smoked paprika, 2 tsp of garlic powder, 2 tsp of marjoram, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1.5 tsp of black pepper, ½ tsp of allspice, and ½ tsp of lightly crushed caraway seeds. Rub generously over both sides of the ribs, pressing the rub into the meat. Don’t be shy. The bark forms from this layer. If you can season the rack of ribs the night before.
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F and get the wood pellets smoking.
- Place ribs bone-side down on the smoker grates. Close the lid and let them smoke undisturbed for 3 hours. Resist the urge to open the lid repeatedly.
- After 3 hours, pull the rib rack and check the bark. It should be set and dark. Wrap ribs tightly in two layers of aluminum foil or butcher paper. Seal it well.
- Return the wrapped rack to the smoker, still at 225°F, and cook for another 2 hours. This is when the connective tissue breaks down, and the ribs become tender.
- While the ribs are in the foil phase, make the glaze. Combine the Texas Plum Jam and the Bourbon Molasses sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir until combined. Add the apple cider vinegar and taste. When the ribs come out of the foil in the next step, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the drippings from the foil to the glaze and stir to loosen. This step ties the glaze to the rub.
- After 2 hours in foil (butcher paper), carefully open one end and check for tenderness. The meat should have pulled back slightly from the bones, and the rack should bend when you lift it in the middle. If it’s still stiff, re-wrap and give it another 30 minutes.
- Unwrap and place the rack back on the smoker grates, bone-side down. Brush a generous layer of plum bourbon glaze over the top and sides. Close the lid and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Brush on a second coat of glaze, then let it set for another 15 minutes. You want it sticky and lacquered, not wet.
- While the second glaze sets, place the halved fresh plums, cut-side down, on the smoker grates. Let them cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until they soften and develop some color.
- Pull the ribs when the glaze is set, and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat between the bones reads 195°F to 203°F. Rest, loosely covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice between the bones and serve with the charred plums alongside.
The best way to enjoy.
Straight off the board with charred plums and nothing else
With my Red cabbage with celery root and apple slaw
With roasted potatoes or a crusty rye bread
Leftover ribs sliced thin over a grain bowl the next day
You may also like:
If you’re exploring the smoker side of things, I have a whole collection of smoker recipes worth digging into.
Storage instructions, reheating
Refrigerator – store leftover ribs in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil for 3 to 4 days. The glaze holds up well, and the flavor often deepens overnight.
Reheating – the best method is low and slow in the oven. Wrap the ribs in foil and reheat at 275°F for about 20 to 25 minutes until warmed through. Add a small drizzle of water or broth inside the foil before sealing to keep them from drying out. You can also reheat on a grill over indirect heat.
Microwave – works in a pinch, but use short bursts at medium power and cover loosely. High heat will dry them out fast.
Freezing – these freeze well. Wrap individual portions tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
Best Bourbon Plum Glazed Smoked Pork Ribs Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker or pellet grill
- Applewood or cherry wood chunks or pellets
- aluminum foil
- small saucepan
- Basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- cutting board and sharp knife
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Ribs
- 1 rack St. Louis-cut spare ribs about 2.5 to 3 lbs
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for binding
- 2 teaspoons Morton salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon lightly crushed caraway seeds
- For smoking
- Applewood or cherry wood chunks or pellets
Plum Bourbon glaze
- ½ cup NCF Texas Plum Jam
- ¼ cup NCF Bourbon Molasses sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons rib drippings to loosen
- 3 to 4 fresh plums halved and pitted
Instructions
- Remove 1 rack St. Louis-cut spare ribs from the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before placing them on the smoker. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Flip the rack bone-side up. Slide a butter knife under the silverskin membrane along the bones, then grab it with a paper towel for a better grip and pull it off in one strip. This step is worth doing. The membrane turns tough and papery when smoked, blocking the rub from reaching the meat underneath.
- Rub the 1 tablespoon neutral oil over both sides of the rack. This acts as a binder, helping the rub adhere without altering the flavor.
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 teaspoons Morton salt, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon onion powder,1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, and ½ teaspoon lightly crushed caraway seeds. Rub generously over both sides of the ribs, pressing the rub into the meat. Don't be shy. The bark forms from this layer.
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F and get the wood pellets smoking. Applewood produces a lighter, fruitier smoke. Cherry wood produces a slightly deeper smoke and pairs especially well with the plum glaze. Both work.
- Place the ribs bone-side down on the smoker grates. Close the lid and let them smoke undisturbed for 3 hours. Resist the urge to open the lid repeatedly.
- After 3 hours, remove the rack and check the bark. It should be set and dark. Wrap tightly in two layers of aluminum foil or butcher paper.
- Return the wrapped rack to the smoker, still at 225°F, and cook for another 2 hours. This is when the connective tissue breaks down and the ribs become tender.
- While the ribs are in the foil phase, make the glaze. Combine the ½ cup NCF Texas Plum Jam and the ¼ cup NCF Bourbon Molasses sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir until combined. Add the 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and taste. When the ribs come out of the foil in the next step, add 2 to 3 tablespoons rib drippings from the foil to the glaze and stir to loosen. This step ties the glaze to the rub.
- After 2 hours in foil, carefully open one end and check for tenderness. The meat should have pulled back slightly from the bones, and the rack should bend when you lift it in the middle. If it’s still stiff, re-wrap and give it another 30 minutes..
- Unwrap and place the rack back on the smoker grates, bone-side down. Brush a generous layer of plum bourbon glaze over the top and sides. Close the lid and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Brush on a second coat of glaze, then let it set for another 15 minutes. You want it sticky and lacquered, not wet.
- While the second glaze sets, place the halved 3 to 4 fresh plums cut-side down, on the smoker grates. Let them cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until they soften and develop some color.
- Pull the ribs when the glaze is set and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat between the bones reads between 195°F and 203°F. Rest, loosely covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Slice between the bones and serve with the charred plums alongside.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me @sylwiavaclavekphotography or tag me using #myomnikitchen so I can see your creations! You can also leave a comment below!
Conclusion
Żeberka on a smoker with a plum bourbon glaze is a combination that makes sense the moment you taste it. The rub is Polish through and through. The smoke and the glaze just make it complete.
Make them once and tell me what you think in the comments.
FAQ
Do I have to remove the membrane?
Yes. The silverskin on the bone side of spare ribs is tough. It doesn’t break down during slow cooking and prevents the rub from reaching the meat beneath. Removing it takes about a minute and makes a real difference in texture and how well the rub penetrates.
Can I make these in the oven instead of a smoker?
You can. Roast at 275°F, bone-side down, covered tightly in foil for 2.5 to 3 hours, then uncover and brush with glaze and increase the temp to 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes to set it. You’ll miss the smoke flavor, but the rub and glaze will still deliver. A small amount of smoked paprika and liquid smoke can help bridge that gap.
How do I know when the ribs are done?
The target internal temperature is between 195°F and 203°F. You can also do the bend test: pick up the rack with tongs in the middle, and it should bend and start to crack on the surface. The meat between the bones should look like it’s slightly pulling away from the bone ends.
Can I use baby back ribs instead?
Yes. Baby backs are leaner and smaller, so they’ll cook faster. Plan for about an hour less total time. Watch the internal temp and check for tenderness earlier in the foil phase.
