Ultimate Pork Back Ribs

Some say it’s the sauce that makes the ribs taste great but I believe it’s a combination of how slowly the meat is cooked with the addition of a sauce. This dish is a lip-smacking crowd pleaser and your family and friends will be doing an Oliver Twist rendition of, “more ribs, please!” The word origins of barbecue is vague, but the most plausible theory states that it is a derivative of the West Indian term “barbacoa,” which is a method of slow-cooking meat over hot coals. Bon Appetit said the word comes from an extinct tribe in Guyana who enjoyed “cheerfully spit roasting captured enemies.”

Serves 8
recipe adapted from Compliments
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2.2kg (5 lbs.) pork back ribs
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 L (8 cups) cold water
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced

BBQ Sauce:
250ml (1 cup) ketchup
125 mL (1/2 cup) brown sugar
60 mL (1/4 cup) soy sauce
60 mL (1/4 cup) cider vinegar
60 mL (1/4 cup) hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Using a sharp knife, score the membrane on the inside of the ribs, making vertical cuts between each rib. Rub ribs with salt and pepper, and place in a large roasting pan. Top with water, vegetables and garlic, cover with foil and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens and reduces almost by half, about 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from liquid and place on paper towel to drain. Preheat grill to medium-high. Divide sauce into two portions and brush one portion liberally over ribs. Grill 3 to 5 minutes per side, basting with sauce as you go (discard sauce leftover from basting).  Serve ribs with reserved sauce or save for a separate use.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: These ribs have to be the best I’ve tasted thus far!! Cooking the ribs in the oven makes them fork tender and it’s a good idea to cut the back ribs in half before grilling otherwise they might fall apart.

By the Glass Tasting Note: I love the incorporation of some Asian elements here. When looking for a wine to match the gooey richness of ribs dripping in a sweetened barbeque sauce you need big luscious red wines full of ripe fruit and exotic spice elements. Many New World Shiraz are now dropping in a dash of Viognier which lends an exotic perfume to those wines making them perfect for dishes like this that blend classic American dishes with exotic elements.