MENU DESCRIPTION: “Our award-winning Baby Back Ribs are slow-roasted, then basted with Jim Beam Bourbon BBQ Sauce and finished on our Mesquite grill.”
When your crew bites into these baby backs they’ll savor meat so tender and juicy that it slides right off the bone.The slow braising cooks the ribs to perfection,while the quick grilling adds the finishing char and smoky flavor.But the most important component to any decent rack of ribs is a sauce that’s filled with flavor,and this version of Roadhouse Grill’s award-winning sauce is good stuff. I ordered the ribs naked (without sauce) so that I could see if there was any detectable rub added before cooking and I didn’t find anything other than salt and a lot of coarse black pepper So that’s the way I designed the recipe, and it works. You may also wish to add a little sauce to the ribs before they go into the oven as a great variation on the technique.
SERVES: 2 (FULL-RACKS) TO 4 (HALF-RACKS).
INGREDIENTS:
TO MAKE THE RIBS:
- 2 large racks of pork baby back ribs
- Salt
- Coarse ground black pepper
SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup minced fresh onion
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon liquid mesquite smoke
- 1 teaspoon Jim Beam whiskey
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cut each large rack of ribs in half, creating 4 half-racks.
- Sprinkle a light coating of salt and a generous portion of coarse pepper on both sides of each rack.
- Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 275-degree oven for 2½ hours.
- While the ribs are cooking, make the sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat.
- Sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until they start to brown.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1¼ hours, or until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat the barbecue grill.
- Once the ribs are finished in the oven, let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove the racks from the foil and place them on the grill.
- Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until slightly charred in a few spots.
- Brush barbecue sauce on the ribs while they’re grilling, just before serving.
- Avoid adding the sauce too early to prevent burning
