Celebrate Father's Day with Michael Symon's Grandma

Father's Day is almost here, and I don't know of one dad who when asked what he wants for Father's Day doesn't reply, "Nothing." I guess I can understand getting a gift that he probably doesn't want and probably pays for isn't that exciting. Unless your dad's a golfer, a sci-fi collector, or is really into ties, it makes celebrating them difficult. While dad doesn't want to pay for a trip to the Mediterranean, he would love a manly meal from the grill with some Greek flair. I've got the recipe for you - Michael Symon's "Yiayia's Smoked Pork Ribs!"

While I love my recipes for Memphis-Style Spare Ribs and Best Barbecue Ribs, these Greek-style ribs seem a little "lighter" and provide a new twist on classic barbecue. While Michael recommends cooking the ribs wrapped in foil, I think it's easier to cook them over a drip pan, rotating them occasionally. In addition, the combination of spices, herbs, and honey make these ribs truly memorable. I like to serve them with a Greek salad, loaded with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, and feta cheese. Yum! A wonderful starter (although not Greek) would be Bacon-Wrapped, Jalapeno and Cheese-Wrapped Shrimp. After all, you'll have the grill going anyway, and I guarantee any dad will flip for these spicy/cheesy shrimp!

Yiayia's Smoked Pork Ribs

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Rub

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds

Pinch of kosher salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 racks spare-ribs, preferably St. Louis style cut, if possible (I cut them in half so they fit on my Weber.)

Juice of 1 lemon

For Barbecuing

3-4 handfuls applewood chips, soaked in water

1 aluminum roasting pan, to go under the ribs while on grill

For the Glaze

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

For the Garnish

1 lemon, cut in half

Sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle of honey

Directions:

The day BEFORE you plan on cooking the ribs:

Mix together the dry ingredients to make the rub. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the ribs and then coat all sides with the rub, making sure to distribute evenly. Cover the ribs and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to barbecue the ribs:

Whisk together the glaze ingredients, set aside. Prepare a charcoal grill for barbecuing over medium-low heat (300-350 degrees).

Place an aluminum drip pan half full of water in the center of the fire bed. Sprinkle some of the wood chips on the coals. Place the ribs on the grill rack over the drip pan.

Cover and grill and smoke the ribs, rotating them every 30 minutes or so (the ribs along the outside will cook faster, so it's good to rotate to the inside, etc.) and adding more wood chips, more coals, and more water to the drip pan as needed.

After the first hour, brush the glaze on top of the ribs. Continue to cover, grill, and smoke the ribs until they are tender and a toothpick can easily be inserted between the ribs, about 2 1/2-3 hours. 

Just before the ribs are done cooking, grill the lemon halves flesh-side down until nicely marked and slightly soft, 3-5 minutes.

When the ribs are done, let them rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes. To serve, cut the ribs between the bones and garnish with the grilled lemon, sea salt, oregano, olive oil, and honey.

Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.