Kansas City Ribs with Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Recipe Courtesy: Christy Rost, TV Chef & Cookbook Author
Dry Rub
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds pork loin back ribs
1 ½ cups apple cider
Barbecue Sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 ½ cups prepared chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 ½ teaspoons Liquid Smoke
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Rub the ribs with the spice mixture, transfer them to a large roasting pan lined with heavy-duty foil, and pour the cider around the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with additional foil and braise the ribs in the oven 1 ½ hours until the meat is tender and begins to shrink back from the tips of the ribs.
Light a charcoal grill while making the sauce. Preheat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion, sauté 2 minutes, stir in the garlic, and cook 1 minute more, stirring frequently. Add chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, Liquid Smoke, Worcestershire, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, stirring well to mix. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the coals are hot, rake them into two mounds on opposite sides of the grill to provide indirect heat. Transfer the ribs to the grill, reserving the cooking liquid. Cook the ribs 30 to 45 minutes, bone side down, in the center of the grill, mopping them with some of the reserved braising liquid every 10 minutes. Turn the ribs over and cook 15 minutes more, mopping them frequently with barbecue sauce.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Learn more about Christy Rost and order her cookbook online at ChristyRost.com.
