Ribs are always one of my favorite meals no matter what time of year it may be around here. many people may equate making ribs for dinner along with the summer time and barbecues, but most of the time I make my ribs in the oven anyway so I can just as easily make some ribs in February as I can in August. When I saw some baby back ribs on sale at the store recently I picked some up and then set about trying to find a good recipe to do something a little different. I had also picked up a fresh pineapple that same day and was looking for a way where I could combine some of the flavors and came across this recipe from Taste Book for pineapple sweet ribs. Their recipe makes the ribs over a grill so I adapted the recipe to fit into my use in the oven and I went about making some fine tasting ribs.

Pineapple Sweet Ribs

2 racks baby back ribs

1/2 cup beef stock

For the Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons onion salt

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Glaze:

1 cup pineapple juice

1 tablespoon dry rub mix

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup barbecue sauce

To make the dry rub, combine the brown sugar, paprika, garlic salt, onion salt, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and cumin together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the dry rub mix for the glaze mixture and apply the remaining rub generously to the front and the back side of the ribs. Pat the rub gently to ensure that the rub adheres well to the meat. Marinate for at least one hour at room temperature or up to overnight covered in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the ribs in a large baking or roasting pan along with the beef stock and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs for 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the oven until they are tender.

While the ribs are cooking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon of dry rub mix, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and barbecue sauce until it is well blended. Heat the mixture over medium heat, bring it to a simmer and turn the heat down to low and allow the glaze to simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Remove the baking pan from the oven and take the foil cover off of the ribs. Brush all sides of the ribs with the glaze until they are well coated. Place the ribs bake in the baking pan and turn on the broiler. Broil the ribs to caramelize the glaze on the ribs, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and place them on a cutting board. Cut the ribs into single or double portions and place them on a platter and serve with any of the remaining glaze.

I really liked the sweetness of the pineapple to go along with the glaze and the balsamic really helped to top things off. The ribs came out perfectly and were falling off the bone, just the way I like them. The combination of pineapple and pork goes so well together that it makes a great glaze that would probably work well on pork chops as well. I actually served some diced pineapple along as one of the side dishes with some baked beans, corn and boiled potatoes. it was a nice meal that made us think of the summertime as we freeze here in February.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!