Country style ribs confuse a lot of people. They are not actually ribs. Instead, they are cuts from the pork shoulder that are sliced into thick slabs of meat.
Sometimes they even have a bone running through them. Because of that, they cook a little differently than traditional ribs.
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However, that difference is exactly why these Asian plum sauce country style ribs work so well.
Smoked Country Style Ribs with Plum Sauce
Equipment
- Masterbuilt Gravity Fed Grill / Smoker
- Charcoal
- Wood Chunks
- Temperature Probe
- Knife
Ingredients
- 5 LB Country Style Pork Ribs
- 3 tablespoon Kosher Salt Estimated (get a nice light coat)
- 3 tablespoon Black Pepper Estimated (get a nice light coat)
- 3 tablespoon Smoked Paprika Estimated (get a nice light coat)
- 3 tablespoon Dad Dust Estimated (get a nice light coat). See Note For Recipe
- 1 Cup Asian Plum Sauce
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce Estimated (Add as much as you like to taste. It should be a nice balance of sweet and salty)
Spritz
- ¼ Cup Apple Juice
- ¼ Cup Water
Instructions
Season the Pork
- Lightly season the country style ribs with kosher salt. Add black pepper to help build bark during the cook. Sprinkle smoked paprika mainly for color and a little flavor. Finish with a light dusting of Dad Dust, which is a mix of granulated garlic, granulated onion, and a splash of MSG.
Prepare the Smoker
- Load charcoal into the Masterbuilt gravity fed smoker and layer a couple chunks of wood throughout the charcoal as you fill it. Follow the smoker startup procedure and set the temperature to 275°F (135°C).
Smoke the Ribs
- Place the seasoned country style ribs on the top rack of the smoker. Insert a temperature probe into one of the thicker pieces of meat. Smoke the ribs at 275°F (135°C).
Spritz the Ribs
- After about 45 minutes, open the smoker and give the ribs a spritz. Close the smoker and continue cooking.
Continue Cooking
- Let the ribs cook for about two hours total and check their color. Allow them to continue cooking another 30 minutes before adding sauce.
Make the Plum Sauce
- In a bowl, combine Asian plum sauce with a little soy sauce. The soy sauce adds some saltiness to balance the sweetness of the plum sauce.
Glaze the Ribs
- Once the ribs reach around 167°F (75°C), coat them heavily with the plum sauce mixture. Return them to the smoker so the sauce can set.
Finish Cooking
- Continue cooking at 275°F (135°C) until the ribs are tender. The total cook time is about 3 hours and 45 minutes.
Rest the Ribs
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. This helps the sauce set and allows the ribs to cool slightly to the perfect eating temperature.
Slice and Serve
- Slice through the ribs and serve. For extra flavor, add additional plum sauce on top or dip the meat into more sauce before eating.
Video
Notes
- 120G Granulated Garlic
- 120G Granulated Onion
- 1 tablespoon MSG
- Place all the items in a shaker and mix well.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!This cook leans into that pork shoulder flavor while adding a sweet and tangy glaze. The result is smoky, flavorful pork with a rich bark and a glossy coating of plum sauce. Even better, the seasoning stays simple so the sauce can do the heavy lifting. It is the kind of cook that looks impressive but stays surprisingly easy.
Throughout the cook, the goal stays simple. Let the smoker do the work, build great color, and then finish everything with a bold plum sauce glaze that brings the whole dish together.
Asian Plum Sauce Country Style Ribs Start With Simple Seasoning
First, the seasoning keeps things intentionally light. These Asian plum sauce country style ribs start with just a few ingredients that focus on building flavor and color without overpowering the sauce.
Kosher salt goes on first with a light dusting. Because these cuts are not very thick, the seasoning stays gentle. After that comes black pepper. While it adds flavor, it also helps develop bark during the cook. Over time the heat mellows out and blends into the smoky pork flavor.
Next comes smoked paprika. The main purpose here is color. As the ribs cook in the smoker, that paprika helps create a beautiful mahogany tone on the outside of the meat.
Finally, everything gets finished with Dad Dust. This mixture combines granulated garlic, granulated onion, and a splash of MSG. The smaller granules go on last so they do not interfere with the other seasoning sticking to the meat.
Because of this simple approach, the pork stays the star while still building layers of flavor as it cooks.
The Smoke Builds Flavor and Color
Once seasoned, the ribs head straight to the smoker. A Masterbuilt gravity fed grill handles the cook while charcoal and wood chunks provide the heat and smoke.
This type of smoker keeps things straightforward. Charcoal fills the hopper while wood chunks get layered in with it. After the startup process, the temperature gets set to 275°F and the cooker settles into a steady rhythm.
At that point the ribs go onto the rack and a probe goes into one of the thicker pieces of meat. From there, the smoker takes over and slowly transforms the pork.
After about forty five minutes, the ribs already start developing color. That is one of the benefits of cooking country style ribs this way. Since they come from pork shoulder, they handle longer cooking times while still building bark and smoke flavor.
As the cook continues, the ribs move toward the stall around 165°F. During this time the exterior keeps darkening while the interior slowly becomes tender.
Because of that balance between smoke and time, these Asian plum sauce country style ribs develop both deep flavor and great texture.
Asian Plum Sauce Country Style Ribs Get a Sweet and Tangy Glaze
While the ribs smoke, the sauce comes together quickly. The glaze uses Asian plum sauce as the base. This sauce already has a strong flavor that combines sweetness with a little tang.
To balance the sweetness, soy sauce gets added. That small addition brings in saltiness that rounds out the flavor.
The combination stays simple, yet it works perfectly with smoked pork. The sweetness highlights the bark while the soy sauce cuts through the richness of the meat.
Once the ribs reach the right temperature, the glaze goes on generously. The sauce gets slathered over the ribs so it coats the surface well.
Then they return to the smoker briefly so the sauce can set. Within minutes the glaze thickens slightly and creates a shiny coating that looks just as good as it tastes.
Because of that final step, the ribs come off the smoker with a beautiful finish and an aroma that immediately gets your attention.
A Roast Pork Texture That Makes These Unique
One thing that really sets this cook apart is the texture. Many people expect country style ribs to cook until they fall apart like pulled pork. However, this version takes a slightly different approach.
Instead of cooking until completely shredded, the ribs stay a little tighter. That keeps the texture closer to roast pork rather than fully pulled meat.
As a result, each slice still holds together while remaining tender enough to pull apart easily with your hands. When you cut into one of the ribs, you can see the smoke ring and the juicy interior right away.
The flavor matches the appearance. Smoky pork combines with sweet plum sauce and just enough tang from the soy sauce to keep things balanced.
If you want even more sauce, you can always add a little extra on top or dip the meat directly into it. That extra coating pushes the sweet and tangy flavors even further.
Why This Recipe Works So Well
In the end, these Asian plum sauce country style ribs show how great barbecue does not need complicated ingredients. The cook stays simple from beginning to end.
A light seasoning allows the pork to shine. The smoker provides steady heat and smoke that build flavor over time. Finally, the plum sauce glaze ties everything together with sweetness and tang.
Because of that combination, the ribs develop great bark, rich smoke flavor, and a glossy finish that looks incredible on the plate.
Even better, the entire cook runs at 275°F for about three hours and forty five minutes. That steady temperature allows the pork to cook evenly while building the texture and flavor that make this dish stand out.
When everything comes together, the result is smoky, sweet, and deeply satisfying pork that highlights just how good country style ribs can be.
And once you taste these Asian plum sauce country style ribs, you may never look at this cut of pork the same way again.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Masterbuilt Gravity Fed 1050: https://amzn.to/4bgeMgM
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