Smoked Rack of Pork with Black Cherry Sauce

Place pork on a baking tray. Coat the meat with chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Prepare barbeque for indirect smoking. Remove the grate from one burner to the far side of the grill and turn this burner on. Leave 2 the remaining burners off.

Place a drip pan under the grates that have no heat.

Prepare smoke pouches. Lay out a large sheet of tin foil. Place 2 cups of the drained, well soaked wood chips and one cup of the dry chips at the center of the foil. Wrap the foil around the wood chips to make a sealed pouch slightly smaller than your barbeque burner. Using the tines of a fork poke holes into both sides of the package through which the smoke will escape. Do this twice more to make a total of three smoke pouches.

Place the smoke pouch directly over the flame. Close the lid of the barbeque and wait for smoke

Once the barbecue is smoking, lift the lid and place the pork on the grate over the drip pan on the cool side of the barbecue.

Close lid and adjust temperature to read 220°F/110°C.

Slow smoke for approximately 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155-160F (65C-71C).

Change the smoke pouch when smoke dissipates.

Remove from grill. Cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes.

While the meat rests make the sauce. Place red wine, red onion, fresh thyme, ginger, cherry preserves, balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened – approximately 15 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and strain it into a new pot. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Add the cherries and keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

Carve the pork between the bones and serve with warmed cherry sauce.