Chef Way: To create the flavorings for these ribs, Donald Link combines eight spices for a rub and prepares a barbecue sauce with homemade pork stock.
Easy Way: Cut back the number of spices in the rub to the five essentials, and use canned beef broth in the barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 tbsp unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 11/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 rack baby back ribs the underside of each rack, about 2 1/2 pound each membrane removed from
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground fennel
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, mustard, fennel, black pepper, cayenne and paprika. On 2 large rimmed baking sheets, sprinkle the spice mix all over the ribs, pressing and patting it. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 250°. Pour off any liquid on the baking sheets, cover the ribs with foil and roast for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender but not falling off the bone. Pour off any liquid on the baking sheets.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook over moderate heat until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, vinegar, beef broth, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and molasses and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the broiler and position a rack 10 inches from the heat. Brush the ribs liberally with the barbecue sauce and broil for about 10 minutes, turning and brushing occasionally with the sauce, until well-browned and crispy in spots. Transfer the ribs to a work surface and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut in between the bones and mound the ribs on a platter. Pass any extra barbecue sauce on the side.