From My Impossibly Tiny Kitchen: Stovetop Smoked Ribs

Living in an apartment, it's not easy to enjoy grilling and smoking.  It's basically impossible.  But every once in a while, I think about the stovetop smoker I've got in the cabinet, and I wonder what all I could accomplish with a little research.  So when I got a rack of ribs on sale, I decided now was the time.  Luckily, I'm not the first person to consider this alternative, and the ribs actually turned out much better (and smokier) than I thought.  This is definitely going to be a recurring item.

Stovetop Smoked Ribs
Adapted from From My Impossibly Tiny Kitchen blog

1 rack baby back ribs
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon wood chips (i used hickory)

Combine the salt, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Chinese five spice, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, then season the ribs with the rub, front and backside.

Pour wood chips in a pile in the center of the bottom of a stovetop smoker, then fit with the drip tray, lined with aluminum foil, and the rack, sprayed with cooking spray.  Slide on the cover of the smoker until only open by two inches.  Heat on medium until the first wisp of smoke escapes, then close the lid and start the timer for 45 minutes.

Five minutes before the smoking time is up, preheat the oven to 275°F.  Place the ribs in a baking dish and wrap with foil.  Bake 1½ hours, until tender.  Slather with barbecue sauce, if desired, and crisp up the top of the ribs by broiling for about 10 minutes.

Makes 2 to 4 servings