Served at a backyard cookout or with white tablecloths, ribs are versatile and delicious
You know summer is over when the grass doesn’t need cutting twice a week, weeds don’t outgrow the plants you actually want and it’s a just lot more pleasant to be outside. It’s time to slow down — even at the grill! Try a terrific rib recipe instead of summer’s quick-cooking fare. Ribs require time and tending, so settle in with a favorite beverage and rest a spell, right along with your next meal!
Honey Barbecued Ribs
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 slabs pork baby back ribs, country-style spareribs or your favorite ribs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the top half inch of the garlic bulb and discard the top. Leave the bulb intact and drizzle with the olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the foil. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the tomato halves on a greased baking sheet and place under the broiler set on high. Broil for 2–3 minutes or until tomatoes start to darken. Turn over and continue to broil for another minute. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves from the bulb into the bowl of a food processor. Discard the skins. Add the tomatoes, chiles, vinegar, honey, sorghum, sesame oil, oregano, cumin and salt. Process until smooth.
- Place the ribs in a shallow container and brush both sides with half the sauce. Let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium (325 degrees) and brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. Place the ribs with the meaty side up in the center of the grill and close the lid. Grill 75 minutes or until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the rib bones. Brush with the remaining sauce halfway through cooking. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.
Carolina Roasted Ribs
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- 2 tablespoons chile powder
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ cups barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Place the ribs on a greased broiler pan. In a small bowl, stir together the chile powder, black pepper, sugar, red pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Rub all over the ribs and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the broiler pan with aluminum foil. Set aside. Fill a 9-inch cake pan with 2 inches of hot water and place on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Making sure the ribs have the meaty side up, place the broiler rack with the ribs over the aluminum foil-lined bottom. Place on the center rack of the oven.
- Bake for 75–90 minutes or until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the bones. Baste the tops of the ribs well with the sauce every 25 minutes, but do not turn. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving warm.
Apricot Glazed Ribs
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups apricot nectar
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup white wine or distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons Asian chile sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 sides baby back ribs or your favorite ribs
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the apricots, nectar, sugar, vinegar, water, chile sauce, salt, ginger and garlic. Bring to a low boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and allow to cool to room temperature. Puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until smooth.
- Coat the ribs with half the glaze on both sides. Refrigerate up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium (325 degrees) and brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. Place the ribs with the meaty side up in the center of the grill and close the lid. Grill 75 minutes or until the meat begins to shrink from the ends of the rib bones. Brush with the remaining glaze halfway through cooking. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm.
Pressure Cooked Ribs
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 4 pounds baby back ribs or your favorite ribs
- 2½ cups barbecue sauce, divided
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion, cayenne, black pepper and white pepper. Cut the ribs in 4 rib pieces and rub all over with the dry rub mixture. Brush evenly with 1 cup of the sauce and place standing up in the pressure cooker. Pour a half cup of the sauce over the top, cover and cook on high for 27 minutes. Release pressure and let ribs cool, then refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high and grill 8 minutes, turning to char evenly while basting with the remaining sauce. Serve warm.
Know your ribs
Types:
Baby back ribs are from the blade and center of the loin, making them small but meaty. Country-style ribs are from the sirloin and ribs and are the meatiest. Spareribs are from the lower ribs and breastbone.
Tips:
- Always remove the silver skin from the underside of the ribs because it is tough and doesn’t break down when cooked. It can be a bit slippery, so hold with a paper towel and use a dull knife to slide under the skin to loosen. When you can get your fingers underneath, slowly pull it off. Or you can ask the butcher at the supermarket to remove it for you.
- If marinating, do so in the refrigerator and never at room temperature.
- When grilling, make sure you have large tongs rather than a meat fork for flipping the ribs.
- Don’t neglect the rest period, which should be at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: [email protected].
Jonas asks, “How do I thicken a warm sauce that is obviously too thin?”
Jonas, there are several options. If the sauce is milk based, you can add flour or tapioca. The ratio is 3–4 tablespoons per cup of sauce. If the sauce is translucent, reach for cornstarch, and you don’t need to use as much — only a tablespoon per 2 cups of sauce. You can also use arrowroot, which is only 1½ teaspoons per 2 cups of sauce. In every case, dissolve the thickener in the same amount of cold water, then add to the hot sauce in order to prevent lumps.
Kathy would like to know a solution for keeping dried fruits from sinking to the bottom of cakes.
Kathy, the easiest remedy is to very lightly coat them with flour before mixing into the batter mixture.
