Smoked Denver Lamb Ribs
Recipe by Chef Stephen Barber of Farmstead Long Meadow Ranch
Chefs Stephen Barber and Kipp Ramsey from Farmstead Long Meadow Ranch in California’s Napa Valley show us how to make BBQ Denver Lamb Ribs. They season the ribs with vindaloo spice and smoke them for about 4 hours until tender. They are finished on a grill and brushed with a spicy tomato marmalade. The chefs plate the ribs with pickled red onions.
Ingredients
2 ea American Lamb sparerib racks (Denver Ribs)
1 cup Vindaloo spice
as needed Salt
TOMATO MARMALADE2 cups Tomatoes, chopped, reserve juice
1 cup Sugar
1 ea Oranges, quartered, seeded, and sliced
1 ea Lemon, quartered, seeded, and sliced
as needed Salt
as needed Red wine vinegar
PICKLED RED ONIONS1 cup Red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Pickling spice
1 ea Red onion, julienned
Directions
- FOR THE LAMB RIBS
- Remove membrane and excess skirt steak. Season with vindaloo and salt. Place in smoker for 2 to 3 hours at 225°F.
- Light grill and prepare tomato marmalade.
- FOR THE TOMATO MARMALADE
- In a pan on a grill, cook all tomato marmalade ingredients, including reserved juices from tomatoes, in pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes.
- Simmer, stirring frequently as marmalade thickens (to prevent scorching) and adjusting heat as needed, until marmalade tests done, 50 minutes to 1 ¼ hours.
- Begin testing for doneness after 50 minutes: Drop a spoonful of marmalade on a chilled plate, then tilt; it should remain in a mound and not run (if necessary, remove pot of marmalade from heat while testing).
- FOR THE PICKLED RED ONIONS
- Bring red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pickling spice to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over red onions in a nonreactive bowl. Allow to cool. Reserve.
- EMPTY HEADING
- Take lamb out of smoker; place on grill over medium heat. Brush lamb with marmalade.
- Leave lamb on grill until charred.
- Take lamb off grill, brush with additional marmalade. Cut in between each bone.
- Stack ribs on plate, garnish with pickled onions.
Smoked Denver Lamb Ribs
Notes
- The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F for lamb with a 3-minute rest.