Mike LangFebruary 01, 2016Grilling, Pork

Balsamic Glazed Sausage & Pepper Stuffed Ribs

Mike LangFebruary 01, 2016Grilling, Pork

Every once in a while, a recipe comes along that intrigues me. Intrigue may be the wrong word. How about captivate? In the case of Ted Reader, the latter is more relevant. I've had Ted's King of the Q's Blue Plate BBQ book for about eight years. It's a killer cookbook for the grill, but it is also super involved. Almost every recipe has at least 15 plus ingredients which often include another recipe in the book for another 15 more. It is not for the faint of heart. It is for the extreme griller.

I've had success with a lot of his creations, but I've put this one off for some time. The reason? I'm not really sure. Perhaps, intimidation.

While we all love ribs and dare I say a lot of us love stuffing, how often do we put the two together? Ted is a definite yes and I'm a definite second. Perhaps you will be the third.

In essence, this recipe involves braising spareribs and then trussing them together as they hold the stuffing in place for their final minutes on the grill. It's audacious, it's different, it's involved, and it's good.

I never have, until now, braised ribs. While it works, I think I may have gone a little long, and truthfully, want to try this again with a proper smoke. Nonetheless, this was a dish that packed in the flavor and filled the plates. I hope Ted is proud.

Balsamic Glazed Sausage & Pepper Stuffed Ribs

By Ted Reader from

King of the Q's Blue Plate BBQ

Adapted by Another Pint Please

2 racks pork spareribs - Either Spareribs w/rib tips or St. Louis Cut will do, I used the former

4 T rub of your choosing. I opted for Paprika, cumin, brown sugar, thyme, salt, & pepper.

1 lemon, sliced

2 cups apple juice

1 baguette loaf, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 stalks celery, diced

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp & chopped

1 lb cooked Italian Sausage

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup green olives, sliced

1 long chili pepper, diced

1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, & basil)

1/4 cup melted butter

salt & freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

Balsamic BBQ Glaze

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, & basil)

Remove any excessive fat from the ribs.

Remove the membrane.

Rub the meat with the rub of your choosing or what I've posted above.

Place the ribs, meat side down, in a roasting pan.

Place 3-4 slices of lemon on top of each rack.

Pour apple juice over ribs and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Place ribs on grill over indirect medium-low heat, 300-350 F. Grill for approximately 2-2 1/2 hours or until the bones wiggle.

While the ribs are cooking, cut the baguette into 1/2 inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake in a 200 F oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the bread has dried.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, garlic, onion, celery, bacon, sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, chili pepper and fresh herbs.

Add 1/2 cup boiling water and the melted butter. Stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Place 1 rack of ribs, curved side up, on a cutting board. Place the stuffing on the rack and then place the other rack, curved side down, on top of the stuffing. Press together firmly.