Baby Back Ribs With Saba Slather Recipes

BAKED BBQ BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Mix ancho chile powder, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and chipotle pepper in a small bowl until combined.
• Place ribs meat-side down on aluminum foil. Prick back of rib rack several times with a knife.
• Generously apply coating of dry rub to all sides of rib rack.
• With rib rack meat-side down, fold foil around it to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and cool 15 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on all sides of rack.
• Place rack meat-side up and return to oven, leaving foil open. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on meat-side only. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.
• Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• For the basic BBQ rub: Using a coffee grinder, grind the turbinado sugar with a few "pulses" until it is lightly powdered. Combine with the granulated sugar, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, black pepper, mustard, chili powder, cumin and paprika in a bowl and hand stir until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.
• For the BBQ mother sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low if the onion is cooking too fast--you don't want it caramelized or browned. As the onion is getting close, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add the ketchup, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper and stir well. Slowly add up to 1/2 cup water until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. A slightly thick consistency is best. Add about 3 tablespoons of the basic BBQ rub, stir well and taste. The sauce should have a good, well-rounded flavor. Add more of the basic BBQ rub in 1-tablespoon increments until your desired flavor is achieved, up to about 1/2 cup total. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• For the ribs: Rinse the ribs and remove the membrane from the back. Trim any excess fat from the tops of the slabs. Trim 1 bone from the large end of the ribs and 2 bones from the small end. This will give you a much more consistent slab for cooking.
• Starting on the backs, sprinkle the slabs of ribs with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the basic BBQ rub each, then add 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard each and massage into the meat. Flip the ribs over and repeat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. For a contest, I marinate ribs like this for 12 to 16 hours.
• Prepare a smoker to run at 225 degrees F with around 4 chunks of apple wood and 4 chunks of cherry wood so that the wood will smolder throughout the cooking. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, unwrap and repeat the basic BBQ rub and mustard procedure, massaging them in. Don't get it too thick or paste-like, as this will give you a dark appearance when cooked. Place the ribs in the smoker meat-side up and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and increase the temperature to 250 degrees F. Apply the basic BBQ rub and mustard to both sides of the ribs as before. On the top sides, slather approximately 1 tablespoon of honey over the surface of each slab, then sprinkle heavily with the turbinado sugar. Lay each slab of ribs meat-side up on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the edges. Pour approximately 1 to 2 ounces of the grape juice into the bottom of each foil package, then finish wrapping the ribs but don't crimp the edges--you want steam to be able to escape.
• Return the ribs to the cooker for 2 hours, then test for tenderness. (I cook ribs in this stage until they look overdone and too tender. Don't worry, they'll tighten up. If they still have too much texture, leave them in for 20 to 30 more minutes.) Remove the ribs from the cooker, open the foil and drain off the liquid. Using the foil as a tool, "roll" the ribs over so the bone side is up, glaze with the BBQ mother sauce, then roll them back over and glaze the tops. Using long tongs, carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place them back in the smoker for 15 minutes. This will let the glaze cook onto the ribs and let the ribs tighten back up. Remove from the cooker and allow to rest for 5 minutes, apply a very thin coat of sauce to "glisten" the ribs, then lightly sprinkle with chipotle powder before serving.

BABY BACK RIBS WITH CAROLINA BASTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Combine the sugar, paprika, mustard powder, celery salt and garlic granules in a bowl, and rub all over the ribs. Place in 2 large roasting tins with racks set inside (if you don't have racks, that's fine). Pour 150ml water into the bottom of each tin, cover tightly with foil and roast for 3 hrs until nearly falling apart. If your roasting tins are on different shelves, swap them over halfway through the cooking time. Once cooked, remove and drain the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, to make the baste, mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
• Heat an outdoor barbecue. Whether your grill is gas or charcoal, use low heat to barbecue the ribs. Cook the ribs for 3-4 mins each side, brushing regularly with the baste, until golden and sticky. Alternatively, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and roast the ribs for 25-30 mins, turning the ribs over and rotating the tins halfway through the cooking time.

BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Place the ribs in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the water, onion, celery, 1 teaspoon garlic and peppercorns. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until meat is tender. , In a small saucepan, combine the barbecue sauce, plum sauce, hot pepper sauce and remaining garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove ribs. Discard cooking juices and vegetables., Brush ribs with sauce. Grill, covered, on an oiled rack over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning and basting occasionally with remaining sauce.

BALSAMIC-GLAZED OVEN-BAKED RIBS

Steps:

• To prepare the ribs, heat the oven to 350 degrees. If the butcher has not removed the membrane on the back of each rack, gently pry it up by sliding a sharp implement (like the tip of an instant-read thermometer) under it, then lifting gently. Grab the membrane with a paper towel and peel it off.
• Spread a 24-inch sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side up, on a work surface. Place one rack on top, rub it all over with oil, and generously season both sides with salt. Place 2 parsley sprigs and 2 garlic cloves under the concave side of the rack and 2 thyme sprigs on top. Wrap the ribs in the foil, pleating the edges to seal well. Repeat with the second rack. Place the rib packets in a large roasting pan.
• Roast the ribs for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours more, until the meat has shrunk back from the ends of the bones by 1/4 to 1/2 inch and the ribs are tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.
• Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce. Place the balsamic vinegar in a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by a third. Add the remaining barbecue sauce ingredients with 1/4 cup water, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, 30 to 40 minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add a little water. The sauce should be highly seasoned; adjust to taste by adding vinegar, brown sugar or salt.
• Remove the ribs from the oven and let cool briefly, then open the foil, being careful of the escaping steam. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet. Turn on the broiler or raise the oven to 450 degrees.
• Slather the ribs on both sides with the barbecue sauce. Broil the ribs until the sauce sizzles and browns, 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Alternatively, bake in the oven 8 to 12 minutes. Baste with the barbecue sauce and serve at once with any remaining sauce on the side.

THE BEST BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Place ribs bone side down in a large roasting pan on a rack (if you have one, you don't have to use rack)
• Combine garlic powder, seasoning salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over the ribs. Top with sliced onions. Cover tightly and bake at 350 for 2 1/2 hours.
• In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and this is your sauce.
• Remove ribs from pan, remove onions and discard, and drain fat. Put ribs back in pan and brush ribs liberally with sauce. Cover and bake 25 minutes longer. Uncover and cook 5 more minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.
• You can reduce the amount of ribs if you are cooking for a smaller group. I usually use 2 racks to serve 4.

BABY BACK RIBS WITH SABA SLATHER

Steps:

• Place sage and garlic cloves in a food processor or mortar. Process to a paste. Place in a 1-quart bowl and add mustard, a generous amount of pepper and saba. Transfer half to a container, cover and refrigerate. Add wine, oil and vinegar to the rest to make a marinade.
• Cut rib racks in half. Place on a work surface, meaty side down. Work the point of a sharp knife under the thin membrane on the bone side of the ribs, enough so you can use a dish towel to grab the membrane and peel it off. Place ribs in a shallow dish in one or two layers. Pour marinade over, turn racks to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Place ribs in a roasting pan. Pour marinade into a saucepan and add reserved saba mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, until thickened. Set aside. Cover rib pan with foil. Bake 2 hours.
• Light a grill. Brush ribs with reduced marinade mixture. Grill about 6 inches from medium-hot coals or gas, basting and turning frequently until nicely browned and glazed, 15 to 20 minutes. Ribs can also be cooked under a broiler. Cut apart between bones, pile on a platter and garnish with sage.