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!
Baked sweet potatoes and braised artichokes finished the plate.
Yum.