|
Pork Spare Ribs:
3 to 4 lb rack pork spare ribs (~1lb per person)
1/2 large yellow (sweet) onion
(sea/kosher) salt
pepper
garlic powder
cayenne/cajun spice blend
1/2 bottle of (good) beer
brown sugar
aluminum foil
BBQ grill
The cayenne/cajun seasoning that I use is a mixture of 5 spices, mixed in a ratio that I found in a book long, long ago. Feel free to use Emeril's Essence, or play with another blend of your own. I think this one was garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, salt, white pepper, and maybe some onion powder.
I cut the rack of ribs in half to make it more manageable, and rub in some salt (sea or kosher salts work better here), coarsly ground pepper, and garlic powder. Once each side of both racks is nicely seasoned, I sprinkle on the spice blend, but not much because the cayenne will heat up quite a bit. I use about 1T per side. Wrap in a dish and let it sit for a while.
About an hour before grill time, pull them from the fridge (assuming they're in there), and let them get to about room temp. Heat the grill up to as high as it will go, preheat the oven to 225F, and get sheets of foil ready that will accommodate the ribs fully. My foil is the regular length (as opposed to the restaurant-style extra-wide), so I have to fold three sheets together to make it wide enough. Put the ribs on the hot grill, and dice up the onion.
The ribs should sear for about 3 minutes per side before taking them off. Place the racks on the foil, and liberally toss the onion on both sides. Fold the top and one side tightly closed (be carefull not to tear the foil anywhere), and pour about 1/4 of the bottle per rack in to the foil envelope. Fold the remaining side tightly.
Bake in the oven for 2 to 2.5 hours.
Fire up the grill again.
Take the ribs out of the oven, and carefully open each package (watch out for the steam). Enough of the juices should be left for a good basting, so pour it all in a bowl. Turn the oven off, and put the ribs back on the grill. Sprinkle the brown sugar on each side, and baste away. Use all the juice in the bowl -- you won't need it for anything else. They should be on the grill this time for no more than 4 or 5 minutes per side with continuous basting.
Carve between the bones and enjoy.
Tonight was the first time that I seasoned overnight, and the meat slid off the bones.
ŠT, 2003
|