Stop Using Honey on Your BBQ Ribs

🔥 Your neighbours will ask you for this recipe 🔥
These sticky-smoky beauties are now officially booked for every sunny garden session.
Secret weapon? A hefty spoon of black treacle — all liquorice-toffee depth and that mirror-shine glaze. 😍🍯

Full recipe just below.

Drop your questions (or rib tips!) in the comments

Dry Rub

1.5kg pork ribs

2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder (mild-hot to taste)

1. Remove the membrane from the back of the pork ribs.
2. Cover the ribs in mustard and then dry rub.
3. Optional step: Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
4. In your BBQ, move the coal to bank them to one side; place a foil drip pan on the cool side. Stabilise the temperature at **120-130 °C / 250-265 °F**. Optionally Scatter a handful of soaked wood chips on the hot coals when the ribs go on; feed another handful after 60-90 min.
5. Place the ribs on a grate over the foil tray meat side up for 2 hours.
6. Place each rack on a double layer of foil, add a drizzle of apple juice or splash of beer, seal tightly. Return to BBQ (still indirect) for 1 hour 30 minutes.
7. Unwrap and keep the liquid. Baste generously with warm treacle glaze (recipe below) every 10 min for 30 to 40 minutes total, turning once or twice, until the surface is shiny, tacky and lightly charred at the edges.
8. Internal temperature should be **90-95 °C (195-203 °F)** for tender ribs.

Black-treacle glaze

50 g black treacle (about 3 tbsp)
30 ml bourbon **or** dark rum (optional but tasty)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch dried chilli flakes & a squeeze of lemon

1. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5-7 min until syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. (The booze cooks off but leaves flavour.)
3. Keep warm; it will thicken as it cools, so thin with a teaspoon of hot water if needed when brushing.

To serve

Brioche buns
Dill pickles
Pickled red onions
Crisps of your choice

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