North Carolina House Ribs Recipes

CLASSIC CAROLINA BBQ RUB

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well.
• Use as a dry rub on beef, chicken, lamb or pork.
• If making ahead of time, store in an air tight container in a cool place for up to six months after preparation.

CAROLINA STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, lemon juice, white vinegar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and mustard. Season with granulated garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, white pepper and cayenne pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
• Preheat an outdoor grill or smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).
• Rub ribs liberally with barbeque seasoning, then place them in the smoker or grill, and cover. Cook for 4 hours, or until very tender. The meat will easily separate from the bone. Baste ribs with mustard sauce liberally during the final 30 minutes. Heat remaining sauce to a boil, and serve on the side.

NORTH CAROLINA-STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• Trim fat from ribs. Place ribs in a shallow roasting pan (cut meat in pieces to fit if necessary). In a medium bowl combine vinegar, onion, brown sugar, serrano peppers, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup of the vinegar mixture for mopping sauce. Pour remaining sauce over ribs. Turn ribs to coat. Place ribs, meaty sides down in the pan; cover with foil.
• Bake ribs in a 350 degrees F oven for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until very tender, turning ribs once after 1-1/2 hours of baking. Remove from oven. Discard liquid in pan. Pat ribs dry with paper towels.
• At least 1 hour before grilling, soak wood chips in enough water to cover. Drain wood chips.
• Sprinkle wood chips over medium coals in a charcoal grill. Place ribs on the grill rack directly over the coals. Grill, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until ribs are browned, turning once and brushing with some of the reserved vinegar mixture. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Add wood chips according to manufacturer directions. Place ribs on grill rack. Grill as directed above.) Brush ribs with remaining vinegar mixture before serving.
• If desired, serve with Carolina Hush Puppies. Makes 4 servings. Carolina Hush Puppies
• In a medium bowl stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
• In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, onion, and hot pepper sauce. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
• Drop batter by tablespoons into deep hot oil (375 degrees F). Fry, 5 or 6 at a time, about 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in 300 degrees F oven while cooking remaining hush puppies. Serve warm. Makes 14 to 18 hush puppies.
• Nutrition Facts per hush puppy: 105 cal., 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 15 mg chol., 141 mg sodium, 14 g carb., 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein. Because hot chile peppers, such as serranos, contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chiles as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE RIBS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine salt and water and stir to combine and dissolve salt. Remove brine from heat and let cool to room temperature. Cut 1/2-inch slits between bones on underside of rib racks. Place ribs in a large resealable bag set in a baking dish. Pour in the salt brine, seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a small saucepan, add the vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk until well combined, then remove from heat. Reserve 1 cup of mixture as dipping sauce and hold, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reserve remaining mixture to baste the ribs as they cook.
• Remove ribs from the refrigerator and discard brine. Pat ribs dry and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Combine beer with 1 tablespoon liquid smoke in a small bowl and pour into the bottom of the baking sheet. Brush pork with marinade on both sides. Bake in the preheated oven, brushing every 20 minutes or so. Cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is knife-tender. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and serve with reserved dipping sauce.