The Unexpected Ingredient Bobby Flay Adds To His Smoked Ribs

Summertime is upon us and that means it's grilling season. One of the essential grilling meats is pork ribs. When done right, they're succulent, saucy, and fall-off-the-bone tender. Your shirt should be filled with barbecue stains when you're finished eating a good rib. And if there's one person who knows a thing or two about grilling ribs, it's celebrity chef Bobby Flay. 

Flay is Food Network's proclaimed "grill master," having hosted over 15 shows on the network. As his recipes for dishes like prime rib and ahi tuna show, the chef has quite a knack for cooking meat, no matter what type it may be. But smoking and grilling meat is a particular specialty of his.

Flay also loves adding spice to a variety of dishes. Go to his house and you'll always find Calabrian chiles, Piquillo peppers, and Spanish paprika in his pantry (via sheknows). He even made his own spicy Italian rendition of TikTok's famous pesto eggs, adding jalapeños and soppressata. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that Flay adds a surprise heat to his glaze when making smoked ribs.

When you think of a sauce for ribs, BBQ sauce is probably at the top of your mind. What isn't at the top of the list? Horseradish. Horseradish is in the same family as mustard and wasabi and offers a similar spicy kick. According to The Spruce Eats, this bold, tangy ingredient is often paired with prime rib or steak.

The glaze featured in Bobby Flay's prime rib recipe on Food Network combines Dijon mustard, horseradish, maple syrup, and ancho chili powder. He glazes the smoked ribs for the last 10 minutes of cooking. With over 30 5-star reviews, people agree that horseradish is the dark horse flavor booster for these ribs. One reviewer wrote, "We tried this yesterday and I must agree with all the other raters that the flavor is outstanding! Such a delicious blend of smoky, sweet, and spicy, you'll absolutely love it!"

If you're left with almost a full jar after making the ribs, do not throw that horseradish away. Prepared horseradish will last about three months in the refrigerator, per the Seattle Times, giving you plenty of time to use it up. According to Taste of Home, horseradish makes a great base for a vinaigrette and a spicy addition to smoked salmon dip. Flay himself even uses it to make double-baked horseradish potatoes. If it's good enough for Bobby, it's good enough for us.