Ribs with Plum Sauce -- The Bark, the Smoke, and the Standing Ovation

March 2022. Spring in Memphis, and I am 63, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.

Charlie in Nashville, thriving in the way Charlie thrives — quietly, competently, with the determination of a Johnson woman and the grace of something uniquely hers.

Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.

Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.

Those spare ribs Rosetta approved without a single complaint — that’s the benchmark I cook toward every spring. When I want to bring something a little different to the table without losing that layered sweetness the pork already carries on its own, I reach for a plum sauce: fruity, a little sharp, dark enough to stand up to smoke. It finishes what the fire starts, the way a good choir arrangement finishes what the melody begins.

Ribs with Plum Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 5 hours | Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork spare ribs (about 5–6 lbs total)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Plum Sauce:
• 1 cup plum jam or plum preserves
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Prep the ribs. Remove the membrane from the back of each rack by loosening one corner with a knife, then pulling it off with a paper towel for grip. Pat ribs dry.
2. Apply the dry rub. Combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Rub the mixture generously over both sides of each rack. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
3. Set up your smoker or oven. Preheat smoker (or oven) to 225°F. If smoking, use hickory or applewood chips for a traditional Memphis character.
4. Smoke low and slow. Place ribs bone-side down directly on the grate. Cook uncovered for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, until the bark is set and the meat has pulled back from the bone ends by about 1/4 inch. Do not rush with foil — let the bark develop on its own schedule.
5. Make the plum sauce. While ribs cook, combine plum jam, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and gently simmering, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Glaze and finish. In the last 20 minutes of cook time, brush the plum sauce over the ribs in two coats, allowing each coat to caramelize slightly before adding the next.
7. Rest and serve. Remove ribs from the smoker and let rest 10 minutes before slicing between the bones. Serve with remaining plum sauce on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 610 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 34g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 820mg