The Portugese 'Nawlins Chef knows what he's doin'

Kristen and I had to take ribs to a party on Saturday, and she saw Emeril Lagasse make these ribs on ABC morning news. We, or course, adjusted them to spareribs (far tastier and less expensive) and for smoking.

Below is our version of Emeril's Ribs with Spicy Root Beer and Bourbon Glaze:

For the glaze:
2 (12-ounce) cans of root beer
2 tablespoons hot pepper jelly
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce (like Tabasco)
6 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bitters (recommended: Angostura- a weird liquer found at Ray's, about $8)
1 cup bourbon
1 cup sugar

To make the glaze, place all the ingredients for the glaze in a 6-quart pot or larger, and cook over medium-high heat. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
Once the mixture has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and allow it to reduce to a glaze consistency, about 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove the glaze from the stove and strain though a fine mesh strainer. Reserve and keep warm, until ready to use.

For the ribs:
2 Racks Spareribs, tips cut off, membrane removed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1½ teaspoons granulated onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix in a small bowl and rub on both sides of the ribs and tips- leave in refridgerator for at least 4 hours, preferrably overnight.

Directions:
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F: I used one chimney starter of Kingsford briquettes and then filled coal pan full of lump charcoal (Royal Oak)- this lasted the full 4 hours.

Smoke the ribs for about 3-4 hours (I used soaked hickory chunks) with wood of choice, until the are darkened on the outside and the meat pulls from the ribs a small amount, and you can wiggle a rib easily (but not falling out).

Remove the ribs from the smoker and brush the ribs with a generous coating of the glaze, about 3 tablespoons of the glaze per set of ribs. Wrap the ribs in foil tightly, and place in a cooler or in a paper bag for at least an hour.

When ready to eat, heat your gas or charcoal grill again and place both rib racks and tips on the grill. Brush with a generous amount of glaze. A lot of the glaze will soak in, so keep brushing until they are glistening. By having them on the grill, they will heat again and the glaze will carmelize nicely. Serve to your happy guests. Serves 4 really hungry people, but more like 6 with side dishes.

These turned out great. See below (pictures courtesy of my son, Troy)