Thai Style Smoked Side Ribs

• 4 lbs. pork side ribs (about 2 racks)
• ¼ cup maple syrup, plus another ¼ cup for glazing
• ¼ cup Chinese cooking wine or Sake
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2-inches ginger, grated or minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons hot water

PEANUT CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

• ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• a small handful of Thai basil and/or cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Marinate pork side ribs overnight in a large Ziploc bag. Combine ¼ cup of maple syrup with ingredients from cooking wine to ground cinnamon.
2. Preheat pellet smoker to 275°F, about 30 minutes, making sure the pellet hopper is full.
3. Combine the remaining ¼ cup of maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside.
4. When the smoker is preheated, transfer marinated side ribs onto the grids and cook for an initial 2 hours, flipping occasionally.
5. At the 1 ½ hour mark, brush maple syrup and water mixture onto ribs with Broil King’s basting brush, a flipping and brushing every 10 minutes or so until the 2 hours have elapsed.
6. Wrap ribs in aluminum foil or transfer them into a Broil King rib roaster and cook for another 2 hours, until tender. Cook longer if you prefer American fall-off-the-bone tender.
7. As the ribs are cooking, whisk together ingredients for the peanut chili dipping sauce.
8. Transfer cooked ribs to a cutting board and slice into individual ribs. Transfer to a large serving plate and serve with peanut chili dipping sauce and some cold beers.