04-27-15-ribs-1

Baby Back Ribs. Meaty, tender, juicy, baby back ribs. Ya gotta love ’em.

There re many reasons why I would never make it as a vegetarian, and ribs slathered in BBQ sauce is one of them. They’re just too damned good for words – although that’s not going to stop me from waxing poetically about them for a few more paragraphs!

Whenever I cook ribs, I almost always start them off in the oven and then finish them off on the grill. It’s time and convenience for me. I no longer have the patience required to let something smoke on the BBQ for hours and hours. Besides – I no longer own a BBQ. Or a smoker.

The oven works for me.

I did something a bit different this time around… I started the ribs off in the oven with a half-cup of apricot nectar. I made a boat with the foil, put in the ribs, added the nectar, wrapped them up, and baked them at 350° for a bit more than an hour. I let them cool down while I made the sauce.

Spicy Bourbon BBQ Sauce

  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup apricot jam
  • 1/2 cup cane syrup
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp molasses
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp sambal oelek
  • salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil, stirring well. Continue boiling until sauce reduces and begins to thicken – 5 or more minutes, depending on your personal preference.

Remove from heat and let cool.

I liberally coated the ribs with the sauce and then placed them on a medium-hot grill. I continually turned and basted them for about 15 minutes.They were sticky-perfect when they came off!

04-27-15-ribs-2

Baked sweet potatoes and braised artichokes finished the plate.

Yum.