Who doesn’t love baby back ribs that melt in your mouth, that make you protective of every last rib on your plate, or that you gobble down with warp speed fearing some rib robber is lurking in the dark? We clean ourselves up after we indulge, and proclaim “we’ve just had the the best ribs” ever. And, maybe we have. But tell me this: did THOSE ribs take 5 days to prepare? “Whoa,” you say, and good, because now you’re paying attention. Consider for just a moment a dry rubbed rack that cures for 5 days. Chef Jay tells me that the 5 day cure is critical to the flavor and intensity of these ribs. I’ve made ribs for years and they are good, but I take my hat off to these. The lengthy cure endows the meat with a complex and involved flavor blessing. A taste so multi layered you can concentrate on the heat, the sweet, the smoke, or the char. You can literally enjoy many different flavors and not feel the result is a little psycho. If you’ve got the fridge space (I strongly urge you to make the room, you will be happy you did) and just a little discipline, you and the lucky few who’ve indulged with you will be claiming once again, “These are the best ribs ever!!!!!!”
BBQ Baby Back Ribs
- 2 racks of baby back ribs
Curing Rub:
The following curing rub recipe makes more than you will need for two racks of ribs. Adjust the recipe as desired or store the remaining rub in a jar with a lid in a dry place.
- 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cayenne
- 1 Tbsp ground allspice
- 1 Tbsp curry
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cayenne
Braising Liquid:
- 4 quarts chicken stock
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups red wine vinegar
- 2 cups worcestershire
Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce (Jay likes Mae Ploy)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp ground coffee beans
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Combine all the rub ingredients in a bowl. Rub generously onto all parts of the ribs and place on a rack in a large pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil. Place in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Prepare a grill for hot direct heat. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, brush off excess rub and grill over high heat until they have nice grill marks and are slightly charred.
For the barbecue sauce, bring all ingredients to a low simmer in a large saucepan. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes until thickened and delicious.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. The braise ingredients need to just barely cover the ribs while cooking so adjust the volumes of the braise ingredients to accommodate the number of ribs you are making and the size of your pot. Arrange the ribs in the bottom of a heavy oven-proof pot. Add braise ingredients to the ribs and place over medium high heat. When the liquid has just come to a boil, remove from the stove top and place the pot in the oven. Let cook for 1.5 hours or until fork tender. Remove the ribs from the braising liquid and allow to cool until you can easily handle them. Increase the heat of the oven to 500˚F. Cut the ribs into individual ribs. Brush with barbecue sauce and place on a large sheet pan. Return to the oven for about 4 or 5 minutes, until hot. Watch them closely so they do not burn.
