Bourbon Barbeque Ribs

Bourbon Barbeque Ribs

One of my favorite things about the summer grilling season is enjoying a relaxing weekend afternoon in the summer sunshine right at home in our back garden sipping a few cool beverages while these amazing ribs slowly cook to perfection on the grill. Tender, juicy, a little spicy and with an oh-so-delicious slightly sweet sticky homemade barbeque sauce slathered on in multiple layers, these ribs make the end of a beautiful summer afternoon simply perfect.

Begin by coating your pork ribs with a dry rub and letting them sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Store any unused dry rub in an airtight container for next time.

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 3 tbsp paprika (or smoked paprika)
• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

For the Bourbon Barbeque Saucebegin my heating in a medium saucepan

• 3 tbsp olive oil

Add

• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium sized red onion, roughly chopped

Cook until the onions have softened stirring occasionally.

Add

• 1 cup plain tomato sauce
• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup bourbon whiskey (Use rye whiskey if you prefer or alternatively, apple juice)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 2 tbsp paprika (or smoked paprika)
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Simmer very slowly for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Puree the sauce in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Save any leftover sauce by bottling it in mason jars or freezing it in small airtight containers.

You can cook the ribs very slowly on the grill for a couple of hours by using only one burner of your grill and cooking the ribs on the opposite side, not under the direct heat, turning occasionally. Alternatively, you can cook the ribs in a covered roasting pan in a 275 degree F oven for about 2 hours. Either way you decide to cook them, finish the ribs by grilling them directly over medium heat, brushing on the barbeque sauce and turning them after a minute or two. I like to do about 3 coats of the sauce on each side of the ribs. Remove from the grill and serve.