MENU DESCRIPTION: “Full rock of ribs ‘double-basted’ w/BBQ sauce. Served w/cinnamon apples & homestyle
fries.” One day the suits are sitting around a conference table taking in a pitch for TV ads filled with songs about baby
back ribs and barbecue sauce. Soon after that Chili’s launches its campaign featuring choreographed cooks in the back kitchen banging on pots and pans and belting out a jazzy ode to the meaty entrée. Silly as it may seem, the
tune was catchy, and the baby back ribs racked up big sales. Now you can sing your own tune as you re-create the Chili’s baby back experience without leaving the house. The flavor is found in the sauce, and the cooking secret is a
slow-braising technique prior to grilling that will keep the meat juicy and tender like the original. And, hopefully, no
one will see you dance.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
INGREDIENTS
SAUCE:
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
RIBS:
- 4 racks baby back ribs
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and let it simmer, stirring often, for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the sauce is thick.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brush the sauce over the entire surface of each rack of ribs. Wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet with the seam of the foil facing up. Bake for 2 to 2½ hours or until the meat on the ribs has pulled back from the cut ends of the bones by about ½ inch.
- When the ribs are almost done, preheat your barbecue grill to medium heat. Remove the ribs from the foil and grill them on the barbecue for 4 to 8 minutes per side or until the surface of the ribs is beginning to char. Brush sauce on both sides of the ribs a few minutes before you remove them from the grill. Just be sure not to brush on the sauce too soon or it could burn.
- Serve the ribs with extra sauce on the side and plenty of napkins.
