A Mess of Ribs.

If we can have an Exultation of Larks, a Pod of Whales, a Murder of Crows, and a Squadron of Javelinas (for my Southwest friends), then we can certainly have a Mess of Ribs. Mess is the operative word: there is no tidy way to eat ribs with barbecue sauce. Just ask Hannah Waddingham’s character in the first episode of Ted Lasso season four. It is definitely a Mess of Ribs.

But my incredible Barbecued Ribs are worth the sticky fingers, sauce-smeared face, and stained clothes. It’s kind of cheating to use the word “barbecue,” as they are mostly cooked in the oven and only finished on the grill. All you need is the simple rub, some meaty baby back ribs, and barbecue sauce. I used my mother’s sauce recipe (included) but you can use your favorite. You might assume beer with barbecue, but did you know that rosé can be the perfect pairing for barbecued ribs? I paired these ribs with really nice Provence rosé — head to the Provence WineZine to read more. Thanks to Mike, Jeff, and Traci for being taste testers!

No doubt I’d be raked over the coals in just about every place from the Carolinas across the South all the way to Texas, where every region has The Divinely Delivered One True Recipe for Barbecued Ribs, to say nothing of the Caribbean where word barbecue originated. But, hey, if they are delicious, who cares? And if you do care, just rename and enjoy them. It’s really nice that they are easy to make. Have fun!

~ David

David’s Barbecue Ribs

David Scott Allen, Cocoa & Lavender

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Ingredients

  

For the Ribs

• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt I use Morton’s – adjust for Diamonds Crystal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons medium hot chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pounds baby back ribs in 3 or 4 pieces
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce homemade if possible (recipe follows)

For Mom’s Barbecue Sauce

• 3 cups ketchup
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika or mild chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

 

Making the Ribs

• Take ribs out of the refrigerator about an hour before putting them in the oven.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine spices in a small bowl. Place each rack of ribs on its own piece of heavy duty foil large enough to accommodate the whole rack – about three times wider than the rack – sufficient to be folded up and sealed. See the photo below. (You can use a double layer of regular foil if you don’t have heavy duty.) Rub top and bottom of each rack with the spice mixture (I find using a brush to distribute the spice rub gets a better coating, and less of the spice mixture ends up on your fingers). Wrap each rack individually, and place on a large baking sheet.
• Bake ribs for 2 hours. Place barbecue sauce (recipe below, or your favorite) in a small saucepan. Unwrap ribs and pour 2-3 tablespoons juices from foil into the bowl with the barbecue sauce and stir to mix and loosen; discard other juices. Let ribs cool completely.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill to high; oil the grate. Baste the meaty side of the ribs lightly with the barbecue sauce. Grill ribs, starting meaty side down, basting both sides with barbecue sauce and turning a couple of times, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut between ribs using a very sharp knife. Transfer ribs to a platter; reheat any leftover sauce to eliminate any cross contamination. Serve ribs with extra barbecue sauce.

Making Mom’s Barbecue Sauce

• Mix all ingredients and simmer for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, scrape bottom so it does not scorch. Makes generous 3 cups.

Notes

Serves 4.