We sat down with master chef Todd Villani of Terre a Terre in Carlstadt to grill him on his favorite BBQ recipe.
“This recipe involves a two-step braising and smoking process, but it’s well worth the trouble. It’s also ideal because you can invite a crowd but don’t have to be standing over the grill at mealtime. Just heat the ribs before serving.”
BBQ Tip: Whether to soak the wood chips or not is of great debate and there are probably good arguments on both sides. Regardless, the thing to keep in mind is that if smoke is rolling out every seam, hole, gap around the door, you have TOO MUCH smoke! Starting up you’ll probably smoke heavily for a short bit, but it should lessen and thin considerably. Your ultimate goal is a thin blue smoke that’s close to invisible (sometimes IS invisible) but you can still smell it.
For braising
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 celery chopped
2 pieces bayleaf
1 bunch fresh thyme
Ribs seasoned with salt and pepper
2 pieces fresh ginger
2 cups ketchup
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup smoked paprika
In a large pot add all ingredients and fill with water.
Put on stovetop. When it comes to rapid boil, turn to low heat and cover for 2 hours or until tender and just about to fall off the bone. Remove from braising liquid and allow to cool.
Smoking the Ribs
When ribs have cooled, place in a shallow aluminum throwaway pan. This pan should have some holes in the bottom. You can use a knife to puncture holes through the bottom. Cover ribs tightly with aluminum foil.
In a deep hotel pan add smoking chips and sprinkle water over chips. Put deep pan with chips on stovetop on medium heat below a fan as it will get smokey. You can also put on top of your grill outside. When chips begin to release smoke, put perforated container that ribs are in securely on top of chip container. The smoke will release inside the container with ribs. Smoke ribs for 15-30 minutes or to desired smokiness. Allow to cool and coat ribs with your favorite bbq sauce. Just reheat on top of grill when your guests arrive.
