Recipes Featuring U.S. Pork
Slow Cooked & Grilled American BBQ Ribs
By Chef Debra Sardinha
INGREDIENTS | Quantity |
American pork baby back or spare ribs or beef short or back ribs | 1 slab |
Spice Rub
INGREDIENTS | Quantity |
paprika | 2 teaspoons |
chile powder | 2 teaspoons |
granulated garlic | 2 teaspoons |
brown sugar | 2 teaspoons |
ground cumin | ½ teaspoon |
dry mustard | ½ teaspoon |
dried oregano | ½ teaspoon |
dried sage | ½ teaspoon |
salt | 2 tablespoons |
black pepper and cayenne | Pinch |
Instructions
Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs—very important. This is easy to do with a butter knife or blunt object that slides between the bone and skin.. Once the membrane has been removed, rub the spice rub mixture into both sides of the rib and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the spices to penetrate the meat.
Wrap the ribs in foil and place on a grill (either oven, gas or charcoal) and allow to cook on a low heat for approximately 2 hours to an internal temperature of 165–176 F (74–79 C).. You will know it is ready when the ends of the bone become exposed and the meat will begin to pull away from the bone. Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. To add some Caribbean flavor to the sauce you can add a little tamarind, chutney and some grated fresh ginger.
Notes
There is no reason to boil ribs to increase the tenderness especially when you are dealing with high-quality pork, as all this does is dilute the great flavor present in the meat. Beef ribs require a longer cooking time.