Coffee & Whiskey Spare Ribs

Directions

1. Place the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and season both sides of each rack with 2 tablespoons Thundering Longhorn. Use your hands to evenly coat the ribs, then set them aside to marinate at room temperature while you prepare the grill. (Alternately the ribs can be double wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before cooking.)

2. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire. Clean and oil the grill grates. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, use tongs to remove the cooking grate and place a drip pan with 1 inch of warm water on the side with no coals, and add 2-3 wood chunks to the perimeter of the coals.

3. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the ribs, meat-side down over indirect heat (if a portion of the rack stretched over the coals, it’s okay). Close the grill, vent the grill for smoking, and smoke for 30 minutes, using the vents to maintain a temperature of 225°F to 250°F. Use tongs to flip and rotate the ribs, so the opposite side is stretching over the coals. Close the grill and smoke for 1 ½ hours more, flipping and rotating the ribs every 30 minutes, adding more coals and wood as needed to maintain a steady temperature and smoke flow, until the ribs are deeply fragrant and have a nice, crisp crust.

4. While the ribs are smoking, prepare the sauce. Combine F&S Original BBQ sauce, the espresso, and the whiskey in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. During the last 30 minutes of smoking, baste the meat side of the racks (they should be facing up) with the sauce. Heat the oven to 225°F. 

6. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foils and top the foil with two layers of parchment paper. Stack the racks on top of each other on the baking sheet, wrap them tightly in the paper and foil packet, and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the racks from the oven and let them rest in the packet for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30).

7. Slice into individual ribs and serve with the remaining Coffee & Whiskey Sauce.