Carolina-Style BBQ Spare Ribs with Smoked Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites

Carolina BBQ Sauce

• Preheat grill to 450° F indirect heat (medium-high heat). Place all ingredients in a medium saucepot and whisk together until well incorporated.
• Place saucepot on grill, bring to a boil, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Re-whisk BBQ sauce when ready to use.

Dry Rub

• Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well incorporated.

Apple-vinegar Spritz

• Add both ingredients in clean spray bottle and shake until well incorporated.

Carolina Style BBQ Ribs

• Preheat grill to 250°F indirect heat and add drained wood chips directly on top of coals.
• Pat ribs dry on both sides and using a paper towel, remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.
• Liberally season ribs with dry rub on both sides. Allow the ribs to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Place ribs on the grill meaty side up and smoke for 1 hour. After 1 hour, spray ribs with apple-vinegar spritz and continue to smoke for another 30 minutes.
• Flip ribs meaty side down and smoke for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, spritz again and smoke for another 30 minutes.
• Once ribs are tender and rib bones are exposed, mop with BBQ sauce, twice on both sides.
• Serve with Smoked Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites and a side of BBQ sauce.

• Preheat grill to 400°F indirect heat (medium heat) and place a large pot over the heat.
• Add butter and flour to pot and whisk until it creates a blond roux, about 2 minutes.
• Add heavy cream to pot and increase heat to medium-high. Whisking continuously, bring mixture to a slow boil and thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Cook an additional 2 minutes, then remove from grill.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs until well-beaten. Gradually add 1 cup of thickened heavy cream mixture to eggs and whisk continuously, until fully mixed.
• Add the egg mixture back to the pot and whisk until well incorporated.
• Add cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, 4 oz. Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika; whisk until well-incorporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary.
• Place cooked elbow macaroni into pot with cheese sauce, and using a rubber spatula, fold all contents together until fully incorporated.
• Spray cooking spray inside of each muffin insert, then place one teaspoon of Italian breadcrumbs on the bottom of each tin, spreading out evenly.
• Fill each insert with mac ‘n’ cheese until level with the tray. (NOTE: There maybe leftover mac ‘n’ cheese.)
• Top each macaroni insert with about 1 Tbsp. of shredded Parmesan cheese.
• Place drained wood chips in grill over hot coals, then place muffin tin(s) on grill. Smoke mac ‘n’ cheese bites about 15 to 18 minutes, until top starts to bubble, brown, and firm up.
• Remove mac ‘n’ cheese bites from grill and cool for about 20 minutes.
• Once mac ‘n’ cheese bites have cooled down and are still a little warm, remove from muffin tin with a butter knife. NOTE: If mac ‘n’ cheese bites don’t remove easily from tins, allow to cool for an additional 5 minutes.