Smoked Pomegranate Baby Back Ribs
Smoked Pomegranate Baby Back Ribs are a non-traditional twist on ribs for the holidays! With this 24-hour brine and a smokin’ sauce, you can’t go wrong with this sticky sweet combo.
Ingredients
Brine
1 Gallon water
1 Medium yellow onion
1 Head garlic, halved
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoon allspice berries
2 Tablespoon whole black peppercorn
2 Stick cinnamon
1/2 Cup salt
Main
2 Rack baby back ribs
finely chopped cilantro leaves
Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
1/3 Cup Pomegranate Molasses
1 Small onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Juice
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 Teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
Make the brine. In a large stockpot, bring 1 gallon of water along with onion, garlic, bay leaves, allspice berries, peppercorn, cinnamon sticks, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Place the ribs in the pot making sure they are fully submerged in the brine, adding more water if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Make the Pomegranate BBQ Sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the molasses, onion, pomegranate juice, brown sugar, vinegar, allspice, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and allow to simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat allow to cool slightly. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. BBQ sauce can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 180℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available.
Remove the ribs from the brine, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Place the ribs directly on grill grates, bone-side down. Close the lid and smoke for three hours.
Place the ribs directly on grill grates, bone-side down. Close the lid and smoke for three hours.
Generously coat the ribs with pomegranate BBQ sauce. Place the ribs back on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour, or until the ribs are tender but not falling off the bones.
Remove the ribs from the grill and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Recipe and photo from Traeger.
