Barbecued Sage Spareribs Recipes

BACKYARD BBQ'D SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Trim the membrane off the back of the ribs and rub ribs all over with spice blend. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
• Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium fire for indirect grilling. Place a drip pan, half-filled with water, under the cooler side of the grill grate. Open bottom vents of the grill.
• Set the ribs over the drip pan. (If you have a rib rack, use it.) Toss 1 cup of the drained wood chips onto the coals and cover the grill. Rotate the lid so that the vent holes are directly over the ribs. Add about 1 cup of hardwood charcoals to the fire about every hour during the cooking time to maintain a medium to medium-low fire (a temperature of about 250 degrees F to 275 degrees F is ideal). After 3 hours the meat should pull back from the bones and will have turned a reddish brown. Baste the ribs with some of the barbecue sauce of your choice and cook over direct heat until lightly glazed. Cut the racks into ribs and serve with extra sauce on the side.
• Whisk paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic, ancho powder, salt, and celery salt in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
• Makes about 3/4 cup
• Mix brown sugar, oregano, parsley, garlic, onion powder, paprika, thyme, black pepper, salt, celery salt, white pepper, cayenne, and bay leaves in a bowl. Pulse in a spice grinder in two batches to a medium-fine grind. Seal in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
• Makes 1 cup
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, red pepper, allspice, and cloves and cook, stirring, until paste is dark brick red, about 3 minutes. Add the ketchup, water, vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, black pepper, and bay leaf. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the flavors come together, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf before using.
• Makes about 1 quart
• Split, stem, and seed the chiles. Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning and flattening with a spatula, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Put the chiles in a heatproof bowl, cover with very hot water, and set aside until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserve soaking liquid, chop chiles roughly, and set aside.
• While the chiles soak, char the onion and garlic in the same dry skillet over medium heat until the onion blackens slightly and garlic softens in the skin, about 8 minutes. Cool, squeeze the garlic out of the skin, and put in a blender with chiles and onion. Puree to a paste, adding soaking liquid as needed (about 3/4 cup) to help the mixture break down.
• Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chile mixture and cook, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, coffee, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, oregano, cloves, and cumin. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar and season with salt to taste.
• Makes 1 quart

BARBECUED SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Cut the spare ribs into 2 equal pieces. Remove any visible fat pockets. Lightly score the spareribs in the meat side and place them in a large, shallow bowl. Sprinkle sugar on both sides of ribs, using more on the meaty side. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid. In a small bowl combine the thin and black soy sauces, hoisin sauce, bean sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil and pepper and stir to combine. Pour over the spareribs, making sure that the spareribs are well-coated. Loosely cover the ribs with plastic wrap and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Just before roasting, use your hands to spread honey on the spareribs, especially on the meaty side. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan and add enough water so that the water reaches a depth of 1/2- inch in the pan. Place the marinated spareribs meat-side up on the rack, leaving about 1-inch of space between the 2 pieces. Carefully place the pan in the oven and roast 30 minutes. Monitor the water level in the broiler pan to make sure it never falls below 1/4-inch. Carefully remove the roasting pan of ribs from the oven. Preheat the broiler. Place the roasting pan of ribs 4 inches from the heat and broil 5 to 10 minutes or until the spareribs have a sugar crust similar to the crust on a baked ham. Carefully remove the spareribs from the oven and set on a platter to cool 15 minutes. Cut the spareribs into individual ribs and serve immediately or at room temperature. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

HERBED LEMON SPARERIBS

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, cover ribs with boiling water, cover and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or until ribs are tender.
• Drain and let cool, pack into large heavy plastic bag.
• Combine oil, garlic, parsley, lemon rind, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, pepper, mint, allspice, cumin and cayenne, pour over ribs, coating meat evenly.
• Tie bag closed, place in large bowl and marinate in refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours, turning bag over periodically (Note: there is just enough marinade to cover ribs, not to swish around).
• Remove ribs, reserving any marinade, bring ribs to room temperature.
• Cook on greased grill over hot coals or on high setting for about 10 minutes per side or until meat comes away from bone, brushing occasionally with any marinade.
• Season with salt to taste after cooking.
• Cut into serving sized portions of 3 to 4 ribs.
• Garnish: Cut lemons into wedges.
• Garnish ribs with lemon wedges, and lemon rind and thyme, if using.

BARBECUED SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Stir together sugar, spices, and salt and rub all over ribs to coat well, knocking off excess.
• Put chips in foil and crimp tightly closed to form a packet. Poke holes all over packet.
• Stir together all sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
• Open vents two-thirds in lid and bottom of grill. Light half a chimney of charcoal, then put on one side of bottom rack, mounding and banking against side. Charcoal will be ready for cooking when it turns grayish white (10 to 15 minutes). Temperature should be about 350°F inside covered grill. Add additional charcoal if necessary. (Temperature will gradually drop during cooking; the goal is to maintain a low, continuous heat, about 250°F.) Put wood-chip packet on coals, then arrange grill rack so that one hinged side is over the coals.
• Oil rack lightly. Arrange ribs on rack so that they do not extend over coals, then cover.
• Cook ribs, covered until tender, about 4 hours. Every 20 minutes, baste ribs with sauce, turn over and switch positions, and add about 8 pieces of charcoal to the mound.

ALMOST-FAMOUS BARBECUE SPARERIBS

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Whisk the brown sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Put the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board. Starting at one end, slip a paring knife under the membrane that covers the back of the rack. Loosen the membrane with the knife, then pull it off. Coat the ribs on both sides with the marinade; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the rub: Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, celery seeds, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.
• Soak 2 cups hickory wood chips in water, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium low (275 degrees F) and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side; for a gas grill, turn off the burners on one side. Cover the grate on the cooler side of the grill with foil.
• Drain the wood chips. For a charcoal grill, scatter the chips over the hot coals; for a gas grill, put the chips in a smoker box and place over direct heat. Close the lid and allow smoke to build up, about 10 minutes. Rinse the marinade off the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Work the spice rub into both sides of each rack with your hands.
• Place the ribs, meat-side up, on the foil over indirect heat. Close the lid and cook, undisturbed, until the meat shrinks back slightly to expose a bit of the bone, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Rotate the ribs (keep them meat-side up and over indirect heat), then close the lid and continue cooking, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. (For a charcoal grill, add more hot coals as needed to maintain the temperature.)
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the molasses, Worcestershire sauce, honey, mustard powder, espresso powder, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup and pineapple preserves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Whisk in the liquid smoke. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then remove the garlic. (The sauce will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.)
• Baste the ribs generously with the prepared barbecue sauce. Close the lid and continue cooking until glazed, about 20 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest a few minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve with more sauce on the side.