Honey-Wine Smoked Ribs

Pre-smoked pork ribs get a second life on the grill with a glaze that’s worth making on its own. Madeira wine reduces by half with honey, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and onion into a thick, glossy sauce that caramelizes over the ribs as they heat through on the grill.

The Madeira is the star here. Its nutty, slightly sweet character concentrates during the 25-minute reduction into something complex and rich that cheap BBQ sauce can’t touch. The honey adds stickiness, the mustard adds bite, and the lemon keeps everything from being cloyingly sweet.

Since the ribs are already fully cooked and smoked, the grilling step is really just about heating them through and building layers of caramelized glaze on the surface.

Chef Tips

• Reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. Too thin and it slides right off the ribs instead of glazing.
• Brush and turn frequently during the 15-20 minutes on the grill. The honey in the glaze burns quickly over direct heat.
• Bring any leftover sauce to a full boil before serving alongside the ribs. It touched raw surfaces during brushing.
• The broiler works just as well as the grill if weather doesn’t cooperate.

Variations

• Swap Madeira for port wine for an even richer, darker glaze.
• Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the sauce for an extra layer of smokiness.
• Use this glaze on grilled chicken thighs or pork chops for a different protein.