Bourbon Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Baby back pork ribs get extra tender thanks to low and slow cooking on indirect heat. The bourbon-based barbecue sauce balances tangy, sweet, and spicy.
- Yield:serves 6
- Active time: 45 minutes
- Total time:6 hours plus letting the meat rest overnight
- Rated:
Ingredients
- For Bourbon Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 bunches scallions, white and light green sections finely chopped
- 1 1/3 cup chopped white onion
- 8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Ancho chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 cup bourbon, such as Knob Creek
- For Ribs:
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 pounds baby back pork ribs
Directions
-
1.
Make Sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add scallions and onions and sauté until soft, about 6 minutes.
-
2.
Add garlic and continue to sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.
-
3.
Add brown sugar, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Ancho chili powder, and cumin to pot. Whisk until combined.
-
4.
Add bourbon and whisk until combined. Cook sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick sauce, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
-
5.
Make ribs: In a small bowl, whisk together cayenne, chili powder, cinnamon, mustard, cumin, cardamom, and salt.
-
6.
Rub ribs all over with olive oil. Rub spice mixture over ribs to coat. Let rest in refrigerator, covered, overnight.
-
7.
Preheat oven to 225°F. Wrap ribs in foil and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
-
8.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 225°F using indirect heat. To heat only one side on a charcoal grill, simply push the coals to one side. On a gas grill, turn off all the burners except one or two. Use an oven thermometer to make sure that heat stays constant throughout cooking.
-
9.
Place ribs on indirect heat side of the grill. Close the grill.
-
10.
Cook ribs on grill for 1.5 to 2.5 hours, until meat is tender. When picked up with tongs and lightly bounced against grill, the skin of the ribs should crack.
-
11.
Remove ribs to a platter and brush all over with sauce. Raise grill temperature to 400°F and place ribs on heat. Cook each until browned and caramelized, about 4 minutes per side.
-
12.
Slice meat into individual ribs. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
This Recipe Appears In
Serious Entertaining: Game Night Essentials: Bourbon Baby Back RibsAll products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.
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