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Let me take you step by step through the process of crafting these unforgettable Spiced Apple Butter Smoked Pork Ribs, featuring ingredients sourced from the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. The pork ribs come from Beck Farms stand, while the spiced apple butter, which adds that special touch of fall flavor, is from Hardy Wares stand. By using local, high-quality products, you’re already setting yourself up for a BBQ masterpiece.

The journey starts with these beautiful ribs from Beck Farms—rich, meaty, and perfect for a slow smoke. The first thing you’ll do is rub them down with a flavorful blend of spices. I use a mix of brown sugar, salt, pepper, and warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. This combination creates a sweet and savory base that complements the apple butter we’ll add later. Make sure the ribs are coated generously with the rub and let them sit for a couple of hours to really absorb those flavors.

Next, let’s fire up the offset smoker and talk about wood—today, I’m using maple. The sweet, mild smoke from maple wood works wonders with pork, adding a subtle flavor that enhances the natural richness of the meat. You’ll want to set the temperature to around 225°F and get ready for a slow and steady cook. Low and slow is the key to transforming these ribs into something truly special.

For the first part of the cook, you’re going to smoke the ribs for 4 hours, letting that maple wood infuse the meat with a gentle, sweet smoke. As they cook, the fat slowly renders, and the pork starts to take on that beautiful, smoky color. After 4 hours, the ribs should have a nice bark forming on the outside, and that’s when you move to the next step—wrapping.

Here’s where the magic really starts to happen. Take the ribs off the smoker and wrap them tightly in tinfoil, but not before adding a good amount of butter and some of Hardy Wares' spiced apple butter. The butter adds richness, while the spiced apple butter, with its perfect balance of sweetness and warm spices, starts to work its way into the ribs, creating layers of flavor. Wrap the ribs up tightly to lock in all that moisture and flavor, then put them back on the smoker for another hour. This stage is all about tenderness. The ribs steam in their own juices, soaking up that spiced apple butter and becoming fall-apart tender.

After that hour, it’s time to unwrap the ribs. By now, they’ve absorbed all that buttery, spiced goodness, and the meat is incredibly tender. But we’re not done yet. The final hour is all about finishing them off with a glaze of more spiced apple butter. Brush a generous coat over the ribs and let them smoke for one more hour, allowing the apple butter to caramelize on the outside. As the glaze sets, it forms a sweet, sticky crust that perfectly balances the smokiness of the ribs.

When you pull the ribs off the smoker, they’ll be fall-apart tender with a beautiful, glossy sheen from the spiced apple butter. The glaze will have caramelized, creating a rich, sweet exterior that contrasts perfectly with the smoky, savory pork. The flavor is out of this world—the sweetness of the apple butter, the warmth of the spices, and the delicate maple smoke all come together in each bite.

These Spiced Apple Butter Smoked Pork Ribs are more than just a BBQ dish—they’re a showcase of what happens when you combine local, high-quality ingredients with classic smoking techniques. The ribs from Beck Farms bring incredible flavor, and the spiced apple butter from Hardy Wares adds that seasonal twist that makes these ribs truly special. Whether you’re cooking for a backyard BBQ or a cozy fall dinner, these ribs are sure to impress. Once you try them, they’ll become a staple in your BBQ rotation. Trust me, these are the kind of ribs that leave everyone talking and coming back for more.