Well hello there, great European summer. And what comes with day light till 9pm, balmy weather and general happy summer feels? That’s right – BBQ’ing. Something we know you, our Antipodean friends, can pretty much do all year long thanks to your sunshine tendencies. Not that we’re jealous or anything…
So in the spirit of the great European BBQ’ing summer, Munch is bringing you one fiiiiine meaty treat; our Sir Mix A Lot inspired baby’s got back ribs. Baby, after these ribs, you’ll have a whole lot more back, and that’s a promise…
INGREDIENTS
For the ribs:
- 3 tbps salt
- 2 tbps chilli powder
- 2 tbps dark brown sugar
- 2 tbps paprika
- 1 tbps garlic powder
- 2 tps ground mustard
- 1 tps freshly ground black pepper
- 2 full racks baby back pork ribs (about 5 to 6 pounds)
For the barbecue sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light or dark molasses
- 2 tbps cider vinegar
- 2 tbps Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbps chili powder
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- 2 tsps paprika
METHOD
For the ribs:
Place all of the ingredients except the ribs in a medium bowl and stir to combine, then set aside. Cut 4 (24-by-12-inch) pieces of aluminum foil and also set aside.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Remove the thin membrane attached to the underside of the ribs. Repeat with the second rack.
Cut 1 rack in half crosswise and place the 2 pieces side by side on a sheet of foil. Repeat with the second rack and a second piece of foil.
Evenly coat both sides of the ribs with the spice rub. Pull the foil up and over each set of ribs to create 2 completely enclosed packets. Place the packets side by side on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet tightly with the remaining 2 pieces of foil.
Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place the ribs in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 2 hours. While they’re cooking, make the sauce.
For the barbecue sauce:
Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, whisking occasionally, until the flavours have melded and the sauce has reduced to about 2 cups, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to grill.
To grill the ribs:
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium (350°F to 450°F).
Remove the ribs from the foil, place them meaty-side up on the grill, and brush them with some of the sauce. Cover the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and brush the ribs and cook another 5 minutes. Continue to cook, flipping and brushing every 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the ribs are heated through and have grill marks, for a total grilling time of 20 minutes.
Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut the racks between the bones. Transfer the remaining barbecue sauce to a serving bowl and serve with the ribs.