The fire brigade is on stand by: Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs

My husband likes to barbeque. When we bought our house, one of the first acquisitions was — not new furniture, not even his much longed-for 52 inch high definition TV — but a gas barbeque grill. (And that’s saying something. He really loves that TV.) He often tells me — while watching barbeque programming on the aforementioned TV — that he wants an outdoor smoker, a Green Egg, a caja china, and various other meat-searing implements as soon as we get a bigger house with a yard.

That’s all well and good. But I can’t get behind buying more barbeque paraphernalia until my husband learns to tame his gas grill enthusiasm. Meaning: Until I’m certain he won’t burn down our house.

Yes, I love it when he barbeques… The product is tasty, and there’s that exciting element of danger. What danger? Well, he often leaves the gas grill turned on, full blast, long after serving its wares. Note that this is made more dangerous by the fact that our grill is right next to our house, on our wooden (read: flammable) porch. In fact, this tick has gotten so bad that I habitually check the grill after he uses it — despite getting the stink eye from him for doing so. Nonetheless, about 1 in 5 times, I’m glad I did it.

So, yes, this recipe for ribs is delicious. I just hope you readers appreciate that we risked a house fire to bring it you.

Click here to download the recipe for Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs.

Backgrounder…
Okay, so I know you’re thinking, “Didn’t he do this recipe last week?” Well, you’re sort of right. The recipe for last week was similar, but sometimes you have to go to the well again to impress on people how much you like something. In this case, it’s my new barbeque sauce. In this recipe, I apply it to a classic barbeque food, ribs.

Lately my palette is really about some of those comfort foods — I suspect it has something to do with being tired so often with the baby boy. Yes, I have a weakness. As much as I love trying to balance those new ingredients with classic preparations or flavors, sometimes I just want something that makes me feel full and warm and happy. I mean, a good burger can send me over the moon as easily as some gourmand’s delight. And these ribs are exactly what satisfies.

So, let us begin by talking about technique. In barbeque cooking, there are intense arguments about how to make your chow. All agree that the proper method is low and slow cooking, meaning you cook at a low temperature for a long time. However, some believe in the dry rub, which is just patting down the spices and slow cooking over smoke. Others believe in the wet rub, which is about smearing on pastes and sauces to get a result. Me — when it comes to this style of cooking — I’m a Buddhist with a gas grill. I’m all about a smokeless middle path. Anyway, let’s be honest, when cooking for a long time, you’ve got time for both wet and dry. I take my dry rub and then slowly lacquer on my citrus barbeque sauce. (Now, if only I can convince my wife that she should buy me a smoker for my birthday to get that wood-fired flavor.)

The result here is ridiculous. I know I often like what I make. I cooked it, I thought of it, it was designed by what I think tastes good… but really, this is good enough to make me very happy. The spice, the sweet and the way the meat falls off the bone really create something that, once again, I was hesitant to post for the sake of potential long-term profitability. But I give freely for the sake of spreading the good food to people everywhere. Oh, by the way, I did check the gas, it was off after I finished cooking these.

Citrus Glazed Barbeque Ribs
Prep time: Min 1 hour
Cook time: 3 to 4 hours
Ingredients:
1 slab pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Directions:
1. Locate the membrane on the back of the ribs; it’s a thin filmy substance on the underside. It can be left on, but for better results and flavor you want to remove it. Do so by running a sharp blade along the line of one of the bones and under the membrane, lifting it up. Use your hands to pull up the excess membrane. It may take a couple of passes to get all of it.

2. In a bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients. Make sure all the brown sugar is broken up and the spices evenly distributed. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap long enough to double over the entire rack of ribs. Lay out the rack, with the underside up. Take about a third of your mix and pat it onto the ribs. Turn the ribs over and pat the remaining portion over the top of the ribs. Fold over the plastic wrap and wrap tightly around the ribs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

3. Heat the grill to low if you are using gas, cook over indirect heat if you’re cooking with charcoal. The ideal temperature is approximately 225F. Place the ribs on the grill facing up. Brush lightly with the Citrus Barbeque sauce (recipe below). Cook covered like this for 3 to 4 hours, brushing on more sauce about every 20 min to 30 min. You are looking for the bones to become exposed at the ends and the meat to tear easily away from the rib when prodded with a fork. Once done, remove from heat, let rest for 5 min, break out the beers and the papers towels and enjoy!

Citrus BBQ Sauce
Time: 40 min
Ingredients:
1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 jalapeño (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ponzu
1 cup fresh orange juice (approx. 3 large navel oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approx 8 key limes)
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp. fresh oregano (chopped)
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Coat the bottom of a medium-size sauce pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and let heat for 30 seconds. Add the onions and salt liberally. Let cook until the onions begin to yellow slightly. Add the jalapeño and garlic and continue to cook until the onions begin to brown.

2. Add the juices, ponzu and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and continue to reduce by about half or until the sauce is viscous, about 20 minutes. A visual key is more reliable than time elapsed: Watch the way the sauce reacts to being stirred. Drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan; you should glimpse the pan’s bottom as you drag your spoon through the thickened liquid. It should also easily coat the back of a metal spoon. Be sure to stir often and watch the temperature because as the sauce reduces the sugars will start to caramelize and bubble. You may need to stir to break up the bubbles or turn down the heat.

3. Once the sauce has reduced, remove it from the heat, add the cilantro and oregano, and let cool for about 10 to 15 min. Once it’s no longer burning hot, blend with either a hand mixer or a blender. Once the sauce is smooth, it can be bottled and refrigerated for up to a week. Note, if it’s too thick after being refrigerated, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds and add a tablespoon of water. Mix together by shaking or stirring and the sauce should return to form.

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