Friday, January 17, 2014

Best Baby Back Ribs

This has got to be my favorite recipe for ribs.  It takes some time to get these delectable ribs to the table, but it's not a lot of effort and so worth the time.



I found this recipe in the June/July 2004 edition of my Taste of Home magazine and it has been a favorite since the first time I made it.  These ribs get all 9's on the Melnarik rating scale and friends whom we share them with give them 10's all around!


To begin, in a medium bowl I combined the chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic cloves.  Using a whisk, I combined them thoroughly.


After cutting the ribs into pieces that would fit into a 2 gallon zip lock bag (the only place I can find these larger bags right now is Target), I placed them in the bottom of the bag.


Then, I poured 2/3 of the marinade over the top and sealed the bag.


I turned the bag several times to make sure all of the ribs had at least a little bit of marinade on them.  Then I placed them in the refrigerator to marinade over night.  The remaining 1/3 of the marinade that I didn't add to the bag, I placed in a small bowl. Then I covered and refrigerated it until the end of the grilling process the next day.  The next morning, I turned the bag over to let the "other side" of the ribs sit in the marinade until grilling time later in the day.


Keeping in mind that the ribs will be on the grill for almost 1 1/4 hours, approximately 1 1/2 hours before serving time, I took the ribs out of the bag, placed them on a couple of cutting boards and discarded the marinade and the bag.



For the dry rub, in a small bowl, I combined the sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.


This seasoning rub even smells good at this point!


I sprinkled some on one side, rubbing it in with my fingers,


then turned the pieces over and sprinkled with more seasonings and rubbed them in.


As you can see from the picture above, I used a rib rack on which to grill my meat.  First I coated it with a non-stick spray so the ribs wouldn't stick.  The ribs should be cooked with the indirect heat method, which means they are not directly over the heat source.  Notice that I have a foil pan beneath the ribs with the charcoal briquettes around the foil pan.  This makes the grill operate more like an oven and because no juices drop on the hot coals, there is never a flare up of flames to scorch the ribs.  If using a gas grill, check the manufacturer's instructions for cooking using indirect heat.  Because I was using a grill rack, I cooked the ribs for 40 minutes, then basted them with the reserved marinade (this is also called mopping) from the refrigerator and grilled an additional 40 minutes, basting several more times with the reserved marinade.  If a grill rack is not being used, the ribs should be turned after the first 20 minutes of cooking and then cook an additional 20 minutes before basting with the marinade.  During the last portion of cooking time, each time the ribs are basted, they should be turned.  I like my grill rack not only because I don't have to check on the ribs for the first 40 minutes, but also because the ribs take up less room on the rack because they are sitting up right.


Everyone was so eager to get their ribs that I didn't even get to take a picture until the last few were the only ones left on the platter!  That's how good they are!  Enjoy!


Best Baby Back Ribs

Marinade:
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced

2 racks pork baby back ribs, about 4 ½ pounds

Seasoning Rub:
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper


In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.  Cut ribs into pieces that will fit into a 2 gallon resealable bag; place ribs in bag.  Pour 2/3 of the marinade over the ribs; seal the bag and manipulate so all ribs are coated in marinade.  Refrigerate over night.  Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

When ready to grill, remove ribs from bag; discard marinade.  In a small bowl, combine seasoning rub ingredients; rub over both sides of ribs.  Grill ribs, covered, using indirect medium heat, for 20 minutes.  Turn and grill 20 minutes longer.  If using a rib rack, coat with non-stick spray before adding ribs and grill for 40 minutes, no turning necessary.  Baste with reserved marinade; cook 20 to 40 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer shows 160°F and pork is tender.  During final cooking time, turn and baste ribs occasionally.



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