This time of year, my barbecue grill starts calling to me. So despite the temperatures in the mid-40s with drizzling rain, I decided I was ready for some ribs.
When I first grilled ribs many years ago it was a disaster. I thought that if you just put the seasoned ribs on the grill and were reasonably patient, they would turn out just fine, not the tough, raw-in-the-center meat I ended up with.
I am not one of those passionate grillers who spend hours hovering over their expensive grills and smokers to get their ribs perfect. For one thing, the weather in Juneau is often lousy. I just want ribs I don’t have to grill forever, but are still dark, shiny, tender eats. So after a combination of both soul searching and reading manuals on grilling, I came up with this recipe, admittedly a compromise but still great. You’ll like them.
Removing the silver skin from a rack of baby back ribs. (Photo by Patty Schied)
I make my own rub, but go ahead and use a commercial one if you like. I prefer mixing my own because that way I can make it as sweet and spicy as I want. I use my own barbecue sauce too, although there are many store-bought ones to choose from, sadly often with high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient.
The rub and sauce are enough for two racks of ribs. If you are only grilling one, save the remainder for your next grilling session.
THE RUB:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix the above ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for salt, sugar, seasonings and adjust according to your preference. Save any rub that you don’t use and place in a jar for future use.
Remove the silver skin (easily done by slipping a table knife under a corner of the ribs and pulling it off the meat). Removing it allows the rub to penetrate the meat and also makes the ribs easier to eat after grilling.
Cut the ribs in half and generously rub the spice mixture over both sides of the meat. Wrap each piece in heavy-duty aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
Adding a spice rub to a rack of baby back ribs. (Photo by Patty Schied)
THE NEXT DAY
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place foil-wrapped ribs onto a cookie sheet and bake for 1½ hours. Remove from oven and set aside.
When cool enough to handle, remove foil from ribs, and add any juices to your barbecue sauce, if you like.
Preheat your grill to about 350 degrees. The ribs need to cook at a fairly low temperature so that you can get that lovely dark color without burning them. Using tongs, dip a piece of paper towel into a neutral oil and wipe down your grill. This step removes excess dirt and also helps keep the ribs from sticking.
Place ribs on the preheated grill and cook, turning every 10 minutes or so. When the ribs start to get some color on them, raise the temperature to 400 and continue to cook, basting the ribs with your barbecue sauce. Be careful not to let them burn. Move them to a cooler part of the grill when necessary. Cooking time is approximately 30 minutes, but will vary based upon your grilling temperature.
When the ribs turn dark and shiny, remove to a platter and let rest for ten minutes. DON’T FORGET TO SCRAPE OFF YOUR GRILL! I forgot and had a nightmare of a cleanup the next day.
Take to the table and eat. Great served with coleslaw and hot biscuits.
BARBECUE SAUCE:
Saute ¼ cup of minced onion and 1 minced garlic clove in ¼ cup of oil or lard at medium-low heat until softened.
Mix together and add to pan:
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup each of cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon each of Tabasco sauce (or your favorite hot sauce) and chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
Stir sauce in pan at medium to low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until thick.
• Patty Schied is a longtime Juneau resident who studied at the Cordon Bleu in London, has cooked meals for both AWARE and the Glory Hall, and has written a cookbook. Cooking For Pleasure appears every other week in Capital City Weekly.
