BBQ Baby Back Ribs

I know half of you have the Chili’s Baby Back ribs jingle stuck in your head at the moment. Haha..I’ll admit that I do too.. Ribs are the perfect food to enjoy in the summer and fresh off the grill. Of course, the best way to cook them is low and slow, but since we don’t have a smoker, we used our oven and finished them off on the grill.

Just a random tidbit of information, but did you know that there’s a membrane along the back of the ribs that you’re supposed to cut/peel off? I didn’t know this until doing some google searching. Otherwise, your ribs will be tough. Sadly, this information isn’t on the pack of ribs…how are people like me, who have never cooked ribs before, supposed to figure this out?

I used a recipe from my favorite Food Network star, Alton Brown. He hasn’t steered me wrong yet, and according to my family, who kept eating these, this recipe was no different. These ribs were tender, full of flavor and bonus, there’s a good chance that you’ll have some leftover wine to enjoy since the recipe only calls for a cup of it for the braising liquid. 🙂

BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Source: adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

• 2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

   For the dry rub:

• 8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

   For the braising liquid:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the spices and brown sugar and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat and rub the dry rub into the meat and form the foil into a packet over each rib. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. In a microwavable bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute.
4. Place the ribs on a baking sheet.  Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet for the braising liquid to distribute over all parts of the rib rack. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
5. Transfer the ribs to the grill and brush the ribs with  your favorite bbq sauce. Continue to cook the ribs until they have a nice sear/char to them.