BBQ Baby Back Ribs

4th of July is coming up next week. When it comes to Independence Day, BBQ is the only way to go for Americans. Americans LOVE BBQ! Whenever there is a public holiday during the warm months (probably all year-long in California), people grill. Burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, steak, and brisket. My in-laws, who are Salvadorans, like to make carne asada (marinated beef steak) and tortilla. Our close friends, who are Iranians, make kebab koobideh (minced meat kebab). Our friends, who are Indians, cook tandoori chicken (roasted chicken with yogurt and spices). We may all have our own takes, but we all love BBQ. Who doesn’t love those beautifully charred meat?

As I said last time, Bryan and I made some baby back ribs to go along with the peach-bourbon BBQ sauce. The ribs were moist and tender. I love that they were cooked in the oven first, which helped to keep the moisture in the meat. And of course, there was no need to keep the charcoal going for a couple of hours. Just before serving time, threw on the grill and cooked with some sweet BBQ sauce for 10 minutes. Easy job! Nomm… Sticky meaty goodness with the fragrant and sweetness from the peaches!

Last night, Bryan was editing these ribs pictures before dinner. Both of us were drooling and craving for some ribs. I better make these again soon. If not, someone will be singing the Chili’s baby back ribs song every day. LOL!

BBQ Baby Back Ribs (Adapted from Bon Appétit)

3 – 4 servings

Ingredients:

–   4 pounds baby back pork ribs

–   1 cup peach-bourbon BBQ sauce, plus ½ cup for serving

Dry rub:

–   1½ tablespoon kosher salt

–   2¼ teaspoons dry mustard

–   2¼ teaspoons paprika

–   ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

–   ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dry rub.
3. Cut and divide the baby back ribs into 4 parts, about 1 pound each. Prepare 4 sets of double layers foils that are big enough to wrap each rack of ribs. Place each rack on each set of foils. Sprinkle the dry rub all over the ribs. Wrap racks with foils and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Cook the ribs until very tender but not falling off the bones, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
4. Remove the ribs from the foils and let them sit at room temperature until cool. If not using right away, cover with new foils and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
5. For the grilling method, start a charcoal grill to medium fire or a gas grill to medium-high heat. Grill the ribs for about 7 – 10 minutes until nicely charred, brushing on BBQ sauce for at least 3 times. Transfer the ribs to serving plates. Serve immediately with the ½-cup BBQ sauce.
6. For the oven method, set the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ribs  on the sheet and brush them with BBQ sauce on all sides. Cook in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes, until the sauce is mostly dried out. If looking for a more charred ribs, cook for ribs under the broiler for 3 – 5 more minutes. Serve immediately with the ½-cup BBQ sauce

Tips:

1. Use any BBQ sauce you like. It can be homemade or store-bought.
2. 1-pound ribs for 1 person seem to be a good serving size. But for a hungry man, 1½ pound would be better.
3. The ribs can be made 3 days ahead and keep in the fridge before going on the grill.
4. How to tell if your charcoal grill is at the right temperature? Read.

Source: Read