We all love ribs in our house and I am always looking for a new recipe to try when it comes to making them. The problem I often run into is that many of the recipes are designed for smokers, charcoal or gas grills, none of which I have in my condo. I have been able to adapt a basic way of slow cooking the ribs in the oven and then using different rubs and glazes, which has worked really well for me in the past and which is what I did for this recipe, which is from Food Network for their Almost-Famous Barbecue Spareribs. I’ll post the recipe and method just as they do it and then let you know what I changed as far as method to make it work for me.

Almost-Famous Barbecue Spareribs
For the Marinade:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 4 -to-5-pound racks pork spareribs

For the Rub:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Barbecue Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

For the marinade: Whisk the brown sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a bowl. Put the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board. Starting at one end, slip a paring knife under the membrane that covers the back of the rack. Loosen the membrane with the knife, then pull it off. Coat the ribs on both sides with the marinade. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight.

For the rub: Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, celery seeds, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.

Soak 2 cups of hickory wood chips in water, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium low (275 degrees F) and prepare it for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side; for a gas grill, turn off the burners on one side. Cover the grate on the cooler side of the grill with foil.

Drain the wood chips. For a charcoal grill, scatter the chips over the hot coals; for a gas grill, put the chips in a smoker box and place over direct heat. Close the lid and allow smoke to build up, about 10 minutes. Rinse the marinade off the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Work the spice rub into both sides of each rack with your hands.

Place the ribs, meat-side up, on the foil over indirect heat. Close the lid and cook, undisturbed, until the meat shrinks back slightly to expose a bit of the bone, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Rotate the ribs (keep them meat-side up and over indirect heat), then close the lid and continue cooking, about 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. (For a charcoal grill, add more hot coals as needed to maintain the temperature.)

Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the molasses, Worcestershire sauce, honey, mustard powder, espresso powder, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup and pineapple. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Whisk in the liquid smoke. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then remove the garlic. (The sauce will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.)

Baste the ribs generously with the prepared barbecue sauce. Close the lid and continue cooking until glazed, about 20 more minutes. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board. Let the ribs rest a few minutes before cutting them into individual ribs. Serve with more sauce on the side.

Okay, that’s the basics for a charcoal or gas grill. For the oven, I did everything the same except after marinating the ribs overnight and rinsing them the next day, I placed the ribs in a 300 degree oven covered in aluminum foil for 45 minutes. I then took the ribs out, removed the foil and continued to cook them for another 2 1/2 hours, rotating the pan every half hour. After that time, I then brushed on the barbecue sauce and cooked them for another 20 minutes before putting them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes to really crisp up the sauce. That was it and I think it worked really well. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and I really liked the combination that the rub and the sauce gave to the ribs. Marinating the ribs for a day really helped to break down the meat, give it flavor and make it cook even better. I liked the touch of the pineapple, honey and liquid smoke in the sauce to give it added flavor so I would definitely try this one again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe as i still have some good stuff to come. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!