The nice weather has rolled around and it's time to clean up that old barbecue and get ready to fire it up. Hot dogs and burgers are the usual go-to when it comes to grill season but if you really feel like treating yourself, there's only one proper choice -- ribs! They take a little more preparation and work, but the flavor makes them more than worth it. Check out this recipe for some unbelievably tender BBQ ribs.
What You Need To Make Ribs
- 3 pounds of baby back pork ribs
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of coriander
- 1 tablespoon of ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1 cup of your choice of barbecue sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
How To Make A Great Rack Of Ribs
Marinating Ribs
If you want to take your ribs to the next level, a good marinade is what you need. This recipe involves three simple ingredients: water, brown sugar and white sugar.
- First, take a knife to the back of each rack of rib and clean off the membrane. The membrane is the white sinew-type skin on the back of the ribs and it's important to get this skin off the ribs as it won't cook down when being grilled and will make for a rather unenjoyable chewing experience.
- Place your ribs in a large pot and submerge them in a mixture of water, brown sugar and white sugar. As a scale reference, for every four cups of water, add a half-cup of brown sugar and a half-cup of white sugar. Make sure all of the meat is submerged in the water, then cover the pot and store in your fridge for at least three hours (ideally 24 hours).
- Drain the ribs about ten minutes prior to grilling them.
Grilling The Ribs
- Mix the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika into a bowl. If you want to load up your ribs with spices, up the dosage for each of these.
- After draining the ribs, sprinkle the spice mix onto the ribs. Give the meat a slight rub and pat it down to make sure the spices stick into it. Don't rub too thoroughly or the spices might cause the meat to become too dark when cooked.
- Fire up your barbecue to a high heat. Place aluminum foil on the lower rack to catch any drippings from the meat. Once the barbecue has reached high heat, place the ribs on the top rack (they can be close together, even touching, just make sure they aren't overlapping each other and that they are above the heat source of the barbecue.)
- After you've placed the ribs on the rack, reduce the barbecue to low-heat and close the lid, letting them sit for 45 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
- After the 45 minute mark, lift the lid and gently brush the meat with the barbecue sauce and then close the lid, letting them cook with the sauce for another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the grill, let them sit for a couple of minutes, and enjoy!
What Goes Well With Barbecue Ribs?
Of course, the only way to make these ribs taste even better is pairing them with the right food. So then, just what foods go well with barbecued ribs?
Coleslaw
A creamy coleslaw will compliment these ribs rather nicely. Some shredded cabbage and carrots, some mayonnaise, sour cream, a little vinegar and a few other spices will make a sharp-tasting side that goes perfectly with the smokey meat.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Boil some potatoes and mashed them up good, then just add a little whipping cream, some melted butter, minced garlic and then spice it up with a little salt, pepper and nutmeg to create an incredibly simple and undeniably tasty garlic mashed potatoes. Smokey barbecued ribs and creamy garlic mashed potatoes are definitely the kind of heavy meal that will make you want to take a long nap afterward but the flavors are completely worth it.
Fruits And Salads
After having a heart plate of ribs, getting some lighter foods will help lighten the load while rounding out the rest of your meal. A fresh garden salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing can do wonders. You'll also want some fruits to snack on as the meal comes to a close -- pineapples, strawberries and fresh-cut watermelon are barbecue staples and add a nice sweetness to cap off an amazing rack of ribs.