Rory Schepisis Prize Winning Ribs Recipes

RORY'S RIBS WITH GRILLED CORN, CANTALOUPE, AND FRESH HERB SALAD

Steps:

• For Barbecue Sauce: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Press garlic through garlic press into pan. Stir 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, 3/4 cup broth, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, molasses, and vinegar. Bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl. This can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
• Sprinkle each side of each rib rack with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon chili powder. Arrange 2 racks on each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. This can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.
• Position 1 oven rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third; preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Pour 1/2 cup of remaining broth and 2 tablespoons of remaining soy sauce around ribs on each sheet; cover each with foil. Bake ribs 30 minutes; reverse sheets. Bake ribs until tender, about 45 minutes longer. Uncover; cool slightly. Cut each rib rack between bones into individual ribs. Brush ribs generously with sauce. This can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For Herb Butter and Corn: Whisk butter and all herbs in medium bowl to blend. Season butter, to taste, with salt and pepper. This can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Arrange corn on baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let stand until ready to grill, up to 2 hours.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill ribs until heated through and slightly charred, turning occasionally and brushing with more sauce, about 10 minutes. Pile ribs on platter.
• Grill corn until tender and beginning to char and show grill marks, turning often and brushing with herb butter, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate; top with more butter. Serve with remaining butter.
• For Melon: Grill cantaloupe slices on 1 side until showing grill marks, about 3 minutes. Mound, grilled side up, on platter. Brush with honey; sprinkle with cayenne.
• For Fresh Herb Salad: This easy side dish is a cooling contrast to the rest of the meal. Whisk 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated orange peel in small bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Strip thick stems from 2 large bunches of fresh Italian parsley and place small top sprigs and leaves in large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use, up to 2 hours. Re-whisk dressing. Toss parsley with enough dressing to coat and serve.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic in the oil until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

PRIZE WINNING BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat a gas grill for high heat, or arrange charcoal briquettes on one side of the barbeque. Lightly oil the grate.
• In a small jar, combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Close the lid, and shake to mix.
• Trim the membrane sheath from the back of each rack. Run a small, sharp knife between the membrane and each rib, and snip off the membrane as much as possible. Sprinkle as much of the rub onto both sides of the ribs as desired. To prevent the ribs from becoming too dark and spicy, do not thoroughly rub the spices into the ribs. Store the unused portion of the spice mix for future use.
• Place aluminum foil on lower rack to capture drippings and prevent flare-ups. Lay the ribs on the top rack of the grill (away from the coals, if you're using briquettes). Reduce gas heat to low, close lid, and leave undisturbed for 1 hour. Do not lift the lid at all.
• Brush ribs with barbecue sauce, and grill an additional 5 minutes. Serve ribs as whole rack, or cut between each rib bone and pile individually on a platter.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• For the basic BBQ rub: Using a coffee grinder, grind the turbinado sugar with a few "pulses" until it is lightly powdered. Combine with the granulated sugar, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, black pepper, mustard, chili powder, cumin and paprika in a bowl and hand stir until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.
• For the BBQ mother sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low if the onion is cooking too fast--you don't want it caramelized or browned. As the onion is getting close, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add the ketchup, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper and stir well. Slowly add up to 1/2 cup water until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. A slightly thick consistency is best. Add about 3 tablespoons of the basic BBQ rub, stir well and taste. The sauce should have a good, well-rounded flavor. Add more of the basic BBQ rub in 1-tablespoon increments until your desired flavor is achieved, up to about 1/2 cup total. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• For the ribs: Rinse the ribs and remove the membrane from the back. Trim any excess fat from the tops of the slabs. Trim 1 bone from the large end of the ribs and 2 bones from the small end. This will give you a much more consistent slab for cooking.
• Starting on the backs, sprinkle the slabs of ribs with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the basic BBQ rub each, then add 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard each and massage into the meat. Flip the ribs over and repeat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. For a contest, I marinate ribs like this for 12 to 16 hours.
• Prepare a smoker to run at 225 degrees F with around 4 chunks of apple wood and 4 chunks of cherry wood so that the wood will smolder throughout the cooking. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, unwrap and repeat the basic BBQ rub and mustard procedure, massaging them in. Don't get it too thick or paste-like, as this will give you a dark appearance when cooked. Place the ribs in the smoker meat-side up and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and increase the temperature to 250 degrees F. Apply the basic BBQ rub and mustard to both sides of the ribs as before. On the top sides, slather approximately 1 tablespoon of honey over the surface of each slab, then sprinkle heavily with the turbinado sugar. Lay each slab of ribs meat-side up on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the edges. Pour approximately 1 to 2 ounces of the grape juice into the bottom of each foil package, then finish wrapping the ribs but don't crimp the edges--you want steam to be able to escape.
• Return the ribs to the cooker for 2 hours, then test for tenderness. (I cook ribs in this stage until they look overdone and too tender. Don't worry, they'll tighten up. If they still have too much texture, leave them in for 20 to 30 more minutes.) Remove the ribs from the cooker, open the foil and drain off the liquid. Using the foil as a tool, "roll" the ribs over so the bone side is up, glaze with the BBQ mother sauce, then roll them back over and glaze the tops. Using long tongs, carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place them back in the smoker for 15 minutes. This will let the glaze cook onto the ribs and let the ribs tighten back up. Remove from the cooker and allow to rest for 5 minutes, apply a very thin coat of sauce to "glisten" the ribs, then lightly sprinkle with chipotle powder before serving.

RORY SCHEPISI'S PRIZE WINNING RIBS

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Press garlic through garlic press into pan. Stir 30 seconds. Mix in ketchup, 3/4 cup broth, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar, molasses, and vinegar. Bring sauce to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
• Sprinkle each side of each rib rack with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoons chili powder. Arrange 2 racks on each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.
• Position 1 oven rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third; preheat to 450 degrees. Pour 1/2 cup of remaining broth and 2 tablespoons of remaining soy sauce around ribs on each sheet; cover each with foil. Bake ribs 30 minutes; reverse sheets. Bake ribs until tender, about 45 minutes longer. Uncover; cool slightly. Cut each rib rack between bones into individual ribs. Brush ribs generously with sauce. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill ribs until heated through and slightly charred, turning occasionally and brushing with more sauce, about 10 minutes. Pile ribs on platter.