eliz Cinco de Mayo muchachos. As promised today’s recipe is Mexican inspired, not Mexican at all I’d imagine, but inspired and laced with Meh-he-can flavors. Lets get to it:
Chipotle BBQ Ribs
1 Rack Babyback Ribs
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Chili Powder or Cayenne
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Cup Ketchup
2 Chipotles (smoked red jalapenos in adobo sauce)
1/2 Lime (leftover from yesterdays Mojito me thinks…)
1 tbs Sherry Vinegar
1 shot Tequila (that’s right!)
1 Handful Mint
It looks like a lot of ingredients but they all come together incredible fast and easy, like so:
Start by combining the cumin, pepper, cayenne or chili powder, coriander and two heavy pinches of salt. Stir to combine and rub all over every nook and cranny of your pork.
Next, in a small bowl, combine the juice from 1 lime, the mint chopped roughly, ketchup, sherry vinegar, tequila, a pinch of salt, and the two chipotles chopped into a paste. Stir to combine.
I ran out of gas for my grill so this will continue in oven terms but it would be crazy good on the grill as well, follow my previous rib-grilling instruciones here.
Preheat your oven to 400 and place the ribs with just their dry rub on the middle rack in a baking dish. Allow the meat to brown for 15 minutes, this will allow the rub to adhere to the meat becoming the first of many layers.
After 15 minutes at 400 baste your ribs in a generous layer of the bbq sauce, drop the heat to 325 and continue to baste every 30 minutes with a light coating of bbq sauce for 2 hours.
At the 2 hour mark the ribs should be tender and the meat ready to pull from the bone with the slightest of ease. A good test is to pick one end of the rack up with tongs, if they sag or bend they’re probably ready (resembling another rack entirely, namely your kindergarten teachers…yuck).
Pull the ribs out and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs inbetween the bones.
As an easy side shuck some corn and coat in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little lime zest. Roast with the pork for the last hour for a smokey, zesty alternative to corn on the cob.
Slow, low heat is pork’s best friend, especially ribs which develop a rich, sticky lacquer of bbq sauce thanks to a little love and care. The bbq sauce is sweet and tangy with a smokey-spicey edge thanks to the chopped chipotles. The vibrant mint adds a fresh bite while the tequila’s unquestionable aroma perfumes the meat down to the bone.
Tequila…I’m so glad we found eachother…Happy Cinco de Mayo chicharrones.