Since our last published BBQ Ribs recipe, I have been hearing a lot of “My recipe for ribs is the best”. This year I invite you to submit your best BBQ Rib recipe using the comment form below. If we use it on craigswine.com you will receive a $50 Gift certificate for Winexpert Pickering!! Let the fun begin.

Carmens – Awesomely Tender and Tasty Pork Ribs!

This recipe is sufficient for 2 racks of ribs (back ribs are best).

There are two steps to cooking the ribs. After first steaming the ribs with a flavorful mixture, they are slathered with sauce and reheated in the oven or on the grill. The first step, steaming, can be done earlier in the day (or the night before) and taken from the fridge and reheated a few minutes before you sit down to dinner.

Prepare steam bath:

You will need a pan with a rack that sits off the bottom of the pan (broil pan is fine).

In bottom of pan put any or all of:

• 2 onions coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• a couple stalks of celery broken into 3 or 4 pieces (best are coarse outer stalks &/or leaves)
• tops from one bunch of carrots
• 2 or 3 bay leaves

Add enough fruit juice, wine or beer to a depth of about 1 cm / ½ inch (citrus juices such as ruby red grapefruit or ones containing mango seem to work best – who wants to waste wine?).

Place rack in pan.

Prepare ribs:

Remove membrane from back of ribs (if unsure of the process BBQ Pit Boys video on You Tube is helpful).

Cut ribs into “fingers” by slicing meat half way down between each bone. If desired, you can also cut each rack into serving pieces 3-4 ribs in length.

Using up all of the spice “mud”, rub back and front of ribs and between each finger. Place ribs meaty side up on the rack in a single layer.

Mud:

• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• balsamic vinegar

Combine spice powders in small bowl, add enough balsamic vinegar to turn the mixture into a thick mud (the balsamic helps tenderize the meat and allows the spices to stick to the meat better than a dry rub).

Wrap foil tightly over ribs to cover completely.

Place on middle rack of 350F oven and bake for 90 minutes. Allow ribs to cool before finishing. Discard bath contents.

Final step:

Brush ribs with your favorite barbeque sauce (my recipe follows). At this point, the ribs will just need to be reheated and the sauce “sealed” onto them. You can either do this on the barbecue (4 – 5 minutes per side over medium heat until lightly charred) or return the ribs to the rack (discard the bath mixture first) and reheat in the oven, uncovered, at 350F for about 15 minutes or so.

My barbecue sauce

• 1 onion finely minced (I use a hand operated food processor)
• 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 2 tsps olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire

Add oil to small saucepan, saute onion and garlic over medium heat until transparent. Add balance of sauce ingredients and, bring to just boiling. Lower heat, stirring occasionally, simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your taste and brush over ribs.

Cheers & Thanks Carmen!