Garam Masala Smoked Ribs
I have always said the spicy flavors in Indian food pair really well with Southern United States BBQ and these Garam Masala Smoked Ribs prove my point beyond any doubt. Sweet, sticky, spicy ribs with so much deep flavor. Almost falling off the bone, but not quite! The spiced BBQ sauce in this dish is sort of based on a vindaloo curry but stays true to what you love about a good bbq sauce – tangy, spicy, and sweet!
Where did I get this idea?
Even though I don’t want to open a restaurant, I always say that if I ever did, it would be Indian flavors mixed with Southern BBQ. I have made some recipes we would serve there, and this is a new addition to the non-existent menu. The garam masala spices and vindaloo inspired sauce really pair so well with the tender smoky pork. I made these with that spicy mac and cheese I posed the other day and it was a perfect summer Sunday with some friends.
Preparing the pork for the smoker
First bruch the ribs with mustard. This will help the spices stick to it.
After the mustard, rub the ribs all over with the garam masala. If you can make your own for these ribs, it will be even better, but store bought is fine. I have had good luck with the recipe from Piping Pot Curry! Ideally get it in bulk cause you need a half cup of the spice blend for every two racks. Let the ribs sit at room temperature with the garam masala for about a half hour as the grill or smoker heats up.
Smoking the garam masala ribs
Sometimes I have a good smoking setup. Other times I do what I can. On this day, I was using a gas grill to smoke the ribs. Keep it on low, soak the woodchips, then just pop them right on the grill with the ribs on the upper rack! The smoke was good and constant, but the temperature was harder to keep consistent.
The ribs smoke for about 3 hours.
Making the vindaloo inspired bbq sauce
Cook the onions down for about 45 minutes first, then add some garlic, ginger, chili, tomato, and lots of spices and vinegar! After this cooks a while, then blend until smooth.
The ribs are getting good!
Smokey and tender, with a nice spice.
Slather that sauce on. We also had some corn… but who cares? Towards the end of cooking just keep basting them with sauce every 20 minutes or so. Some people like to wrap the ribs, but I usually don’t wrap pork. I only do the wrap method when I am doing a brisket.
Serving the garam masala smoked ribs
Cut the ribs into individual or double ribs. I personally like to do doubles. Then stack them up on a plate!
A little sauce on the side, and a sprinkle of cilantro finish it off.
Hearty and satisfying! These will be a big hit at my Indian smokehouse that will never exist!
Twists on garam masala smoked ribs
A bbq sauce based on tikka masala would also be pretty good I think. You could cook the onions for way less, and add less vinegar at the end, along with some curry powder and cream before blending.
I have also made really tasty bourbon molasses ribs, and smoked ribs with an italian bbq sauce!
Garam Masala Smoked Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 cup garam masala
- 2 racks st louis style ribs
- 1/2 cup mustard
- wood chips
- 2 large onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup red vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
Instructions
- Make the ribs – Brush the ribs with the mustard and then liberally coat with the garam masala and also salt. Smoke the ribs at 250 for about 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Cook the onions until very browned, about 45 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, molasses, and garam masala. Cook about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are softened. Blend until smooth.
- Brush the ribs with the sauce and finish them on the grill to brown. Serve with more sauce and a little
Awesome. I am going to try this over the weekend. What kind of wood do you use?
I think I used apple! Let me know how they come out.