OK, Pork Back-Ribs...Talking a one-pound slab!

I need some fresh ideas on interesting basting sauces when pulling out of the oven or putting on the BBQ.
I really need to get away from that blasted BBQ sauce and find some inspiration!

A nice fruit-based sauce might be of interest eh.

Why are you just cooking ribs for one?

I agree with Chef Carey--do a whole rack of back ribs. Cover them liberally with a dry rub (see Chef Carey's excellent rub recipe posted a while ago in this forum) and let them "marinate" in the refrigerator overnight. Bring the ribs to room temperature, then cook them over low heat for about 4-5 hours, until the ribs are tender. If you're using a traditional wood barbecue fire, you'll want to baste the ribs every hour with plain hot water, or a mixture of hot water, a touch of vinegar, and some of the barbecue rub.

Serve any barbecue sauce on the side, or, if you insist, slather the ribs with the finishing sauce a few minutes before serving.

The ribs are excellent when re-heated (I steam them over a pot of boiling water for a few minutes). Since I don't often have the time to do a full-fledged hickory or oak log barbecue, I make them in huge quantities, cut the finished ribs into pieces, and freeze them, to be enjoyed during the winter months.

-Paul W.

Whether for one or more -- I know why cooking for one is important -- I like to make a mix of orange juice, garlic, ginger and olive oil. I'll just use the basic "salad dressing" as a wet soak before cooking and a baste, then add a little brown sugar to the leftover, warm it up to thicken a bit, and sauce the finished ribs. Sorry, I just make it -- no particular proportions. I use just barely enough oil to make it work when I whisk it up. I have used black pepper or red peppers, but I sort of prefer it without.

John

A nice fruit-based sauce might be of interest eh.

Any ham glaze should work nicely. In the same vein, smother with candied kumquats or a good bitter marmalade. (Saucy Susan? )

Maybe try a General Tso sort of thing with honey and sesame seeds?

Why are you just cooking ribs for one?

Inner-city kids and parents...over 30!

Why are you just cooking ribs for one?

Inner-city kids and parents...over 30!

Bob,
30+ people and 1lb of ribs? I think about 29 folks are gonna leave hungry.

Very funny! Local meat packing plant is donating a case of ribs, yippee.

Bob, in this whole discussion it is not clear whether you a talking about baby back-ribs or the larger spare (or St Louis) ribs. This is how we do baby backs:

SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS:

2 Short or 1 Long rack(s) Baby back ribs
Smoker
Carolina Red Sauce

Place ribs in smoker topside down, and smoke for one and a half hours. Turn ribs and smoke another one and one half hours. Remove to oven proof pan and brush with Carolina Red Sauce. Place in 200 degree oven and baste with sauce every fifteen minutes for an hour. Serve.

CAROLINA RED SAUCE:

1 ½ C. Red wine vinegar
½ C. Lo carb ketchup (1 carb/tablespoon)
½ tsp Cayenne
2 tsp Stevia (or other sweetener)
1 tsp Lawry salt/no salt

Whisk all together. Keeps in refrigerator for a long time. Recipe halves easily.

[Jenise]

Fruit based glaze? We love, LOVE, bbq'd ribs coated with an apricot/lemon/chile glaze. In a saucepan, melt a bit of butter and saute about half a cup of chopped white or yellow onion until limp. Then add in about two cups of storebought apricot jam/preserves, and the zest and juice of one lemon, a dash or three of cayenne pepper and adjust salt to your taste in balance with the sweetness of the jam. Simmer for about five minutes to marry it all together, and then slather away. Note that the high sugar content makes it advisable to use this as a finishing glaze for ribs that are pre-cooked either in the oven or on the grill (with or without a dry rub of your choice), or ribs you baste while they go through a long, slow oven cooking.

I know I'm a little alte for this thread. but, from time to time I love to make a simple marinade of chopped ginger, garlic, black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and sake. Let mascerate for about an hour, then throw the whole thing into the oven and bake for about 1.5 to 2 hrs. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with white rice.

I season baby backs with salt, cayenne pepper and mint then slow cook them at 250 for about 5 hours. The last 30 minutes I slather them with Blues Hog BBQ sauce, might fine eating. -RP

I season baby backs with salt, cayenne pepper and mint then slow cook them at 250 for about 5 hours. The last 30 minutes I slather them with Blues Hog BBQ sauce, might fine eating. -RP

Randy, I have to say that while your pictures are beautiful, there is not enough bone showing. and after 5 hours at 250 degrees, there should be an inch of bone. Or was the picture taken before the time was up> It is time for me to do some ribs, but it's been so damn hot!