Barbecue Pork Ribs

I love pork ribs. Their are tons of different ways to cook ribs. Ideally I would use a smoker or a grill but both don't really work well in a small NYC apartment. Oven is the next best choice in my opinion. I learned a very interesting ribs cooking technique from a chef at my old job in Florida. You dry rub the ribs, lather them in your favorite barbecue sauce, and them wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. The plastic wrap doesn't melt to the meat it does however melt into an airtight pocket for the ribs to cook in it's own fat and juices. Crazy flavor.

Recipe: (serves 2-3)

1 rack of pork ribs

2 cups of chipotle barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

Dry rub:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly coat the pork rib with the dry rub and let marinate for at least an hour.

Place rib on a piece of plastic wrap twice it's length. Evenly lather both sides of the ribs with half of the barbecue sauce. Then fold over the plastic wrap to create a loose pocket. Carefully continue to wrap the rib with the plastic wrap until airtight. (note: The first couple wraps with the plastic can get a little messy with the barbecue sauce spilling out the sides. Just keep wrapping until completely airtight.

Next wrap the the rib with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 2 hours. (note: the cook time and temperature depends on how tender you like your ribs. If you want it like pulled pork try 250 degrees F for 4 hours. My temperature yields tender ribs with a little chew.) When you are ready to serve, unwrap the ribs and lather the outside with the remaining barbecue sauce. (note: You can save the wrapped ribs for several hours, just make sure to refrigerate.) Place underneath the broiler until the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize.

Wow they are good. The chipolte barbecue sauce really give it a nice kick and subtle smoke flavor. Smoked and grilled is better but for an oven in a small NYC apartment they are pretty damn good.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce Recipe:

1/2 onion medium sized rough chop

4 cloves garlic rough chop

3 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (add or subtract depending on your tolerance for spice)

2 tbsp worcesterchire sauce

2 tbsp brown mustard

1 1/2 cup of ketchup

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp paprika

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp canola oil

salt to taste

In a medium sized sauce pan sweat onions and garlic in canola oil at medium high heat. Add cinnamon, paprika, and tomato paste and cook until contents begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook until thick. Using a blender or food processor, puree the sauce until smooth and add salt to taste.