Chef Eric Neal’s Little Coyote in Chattanooga has become known for its slow-cooked smoked meats, delicious hand-made corn tortillas, and fantastic small plate menu.
One of the larger dishes on the menu is a plate of mezcal-glazed pork spare ribs cooked low and slow.
Little Koyote’s head chef, Jonathan Ferguson, shares these recipes to make at home for your Fourth of July party or summer barbecue get-together.
“What I really love about this dish is its simplicity,” he said.
His recipe is based on the mop sauce formula of South Carolina hog barbecue master Rodney Scott, who operates restaurants in four states, including his newest location on Nashville’s Broadway.
But for Little Coyote’s Texas style, Ferguson said it makes sense to incorporate flavors from the restaurant’s extensive agave list.
“The mezcal brings an amazing tropical flavor to the ribs that pairs perfectly with the smoke,” he said. “Mopping it constantly while cooking gives the ribs a delightful fruity sheen. These ribs are delicious year-round, but are especially great on hot, muggy days with an ice-cold Lone Star and your feet dipping in a creek.”
Mezcal Glazed Ribs
This recipe makes a mop of 10-12 racks of ribs, which is enough for a party and serves 20-25 people. Reduce the recipe if desired.
Ferguson’s rib smoking tips:
- Smoking meat isn’t an exact science, Ferguson said: “There are a lot of variables that affect cooking time.”
- “The first variable is the type of smoker you’re using. Make sure you set up your smoker according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.”
- “If you’re smoking on a grill, it’s really important to make sure you’re smoking with indirect heat.”
- “The next variable is wood. At Little Coyote, we use a blend of red oak, white oak and hickory. Hickory has a very strong smoky flavor, so balancing it with the two types of oak (which have a milder flavor) allows the flavor of the high-quality meat to shine through.”
- “Using heritage breed pork might cost a little extra, but the payoff is definitely worth it.”
- “We like to use St. Louis ribs because they cook evenly and have just the right amount of fat to protect the meat while it cooks.”
material
- 4 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 1/8 cups mezcal
- 3 lemons, sliced with a mandolin
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- Enough salt and pepper to season the ribs
Instructions
To create the source: Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the cayenne pepper, chili flakes, and black pepper. Add the lemon slices to the vinegar mixture and return to a boil over low heat. Remove from heat and add the mezcal.
To smoke the ribs: First, remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs – simply make a small incision and remove it with your hands – if you’re not sure, there are YouTube videos to help you find the right way to do it.
At least 4 hours before smoking the ribs, sprinkle them with equal parts salt and pepper and let them come to room temperature. We like our smoker temperature set at 250 degrees, which helps prevent some of the temperature drop when we open the smoker to wipe down the ribs.
Once the ribs are ready, place them in the hot smoker and leave them there for the first hour. Then use a barbecue mop (available at most hardware stores or online) to wipe down the ribs every 45 minutes for three hours. If the bone is sticking out about 1/4 inch, mop again, wrap the ribs in butcher paper or aluminum foil, and return them to the smoker for another hour or so.
Remove the ribs when their internal temperature against the bone reaches 205 degrees and they jiggle properly. They will eventually not come off the bone. Properly cooked ribs will be chewy without resistance.
