I made something special for all of you before I went on vacation and am just now getting around to posting it. Better late than never, right?
My husband adores meat on a bone, especially ribs. He. Loves. Ribs! The man is like a caveman; he could eat meat off the bone every day of the week if I let him. You should have seen his face when I told him I was making him a special rib dinner. He was all smiles. What can I say, the man likes his meat.
I was prepared to make a whiskey barbecue sauce for the ribs, so I had the hubs run out to pick me up some Jack Daniels. He came back with a fifth of Jack and a 2 liter of coke. My husband’s favorite mixed beverage is a classic Jack & Coke, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw him come through the door with his Jack Daniels counterpart.
As I was preparing the barbecue sauce, I had an epiphany. “Hmm, I have a bottle Jack and a bottle of Coke. Bingo! I’m gonna make a Jack & Coke bbq sauce.” The creative juices started to flow, and I created a darn good bbq sauce, if I do say so myself. The hubs was pretty impressed when I told him what kind of sauce I was making. His favorite cocktail turned into a bbq sauce was a dream come true for him. At least I like to think it was.
I’m not sure how the rest of you like your ribs, but I like mine saucy. The saucier the better. I always have extra sauce on stand by just in case I want to slather on an extra spoonful.
These ribs are really easy to make. I give them a bath in some brine for about 3 hours, rub them with my homemade bbq seasoning, bake them for 2 hours, then finish them off on the grill with a generous slathering of Jack & Coke barbecue sauce. They’re finger lickin’ good!
After I grill them, I let them rest for about 10 minutes then cut them into individual portions. I’m not going to lie, my husband and I ate the entire rack of ribs.
Mmm, saucy. Enjoy!
Jack & Coke Baby Back Ribs
Sauce:
1 cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbs. butter
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup Jack Daniels
2 cups ketchup
2 tbs. worcestershire sauce
1 cup coke
2 tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Tobasco sauce
1 tsp. ground mustard
salt an pepper to taste
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until onions and garlic are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and add the Jack Daniels, then place the pot back on the burner. Cook until the liquor reduces by a quarter, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender to create a smooth barbecue sauce.
Brine:
8 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs. black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk until the salt dissolves.
Barbecue Dry Rub
1/4 cup paprika
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. onion powder
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. coriander
1 tbs. chili powder
2 tbs. kosher salt
1 tbs. black pepper
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. granulated sugar
In a medium-sized bowl, add all of the spices and mix. Store in an airtight container.
Ribs:
1 rack of baby back ribs
1/4 cup of the barbecue dry rub
In a large pan, add the ribs and the brine. Refrigerate for 3 hours. After the 3 hours, remove the ribs from the brine and pat dry with some paper towels. Rub the ribs with your favorite dry rub and wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. Place them in the refrigerator and let sit for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Keep the ribs in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for 2 hours.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Take the ribs out of the aluminum foil and grill on each side for about about 7 minutes, slathering them with a generous amount of the Jack & Coke barbecue sauce and allowing the sauce to caramelize. Enjoy!
Hi and welcome to my flour-dusted kitchen! The name's Jennie. I'm a lover of cupcakes, an avid spatula licker, and a huge fan of sprinkles. Baking is my passion, but you'll find some savory dishes scattered amongst copious amounts of frosting and chocolate. I love hearing from ya, so feel free to leave me some love. Thanks for stopping by my little piece of the interweb.
