Growing up my Dad always made the best ribs whenever we had barbecues. He patiently grilled the ribs for what seemed to be hours and painted them with his most famous sauce. Never a fan of the bottled overly thick and sweet sauces he decided to create his own. It is a combination of spices, maple syrup with an Asian twist. This sauce is a perfect blend of salty and sweet. Just like my Dad. Give it a try and I am sure you will love it, too.
Ingredients for Frankie's Barbecued Ribs:
* 1 rack of St. Louis Style Ribs
3/4 cup - 1 cup chicken broth
sheet pan
heavy duty foil
Dad's Special Sauce
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Saucy Susan
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon back pepper
Time-Saving Tip: The sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated. just be sure to bring it to room temperature before using it. Also, while my dad grilled his fabulous ribs from start to finish I start them in the oven. If you do the oven method this can be done in advance as well.
* My Dad didn't use St. Louis Style Ribs. He used just plain old pork spareribs which I rarely see in the stores these days.
Let's see what we need.
Let's get cooking.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. I always rely on the oven to do most of the rib cooking. Take the heavy duty foil and rip off a large enough piece that will allow the rack of ribs to fit comfortably with overhang. Place the sheet of foil on a sheet pan. Place the ribs on top and then pour the chicken broth around the sides of the ribs. Seal the foil well. Sometimes the ribs poke a hole in the foil and the broth can spill out. So I usually line the sheet pan with foil as well for easy cleanup.
Bake the ribs until tender. It took about 2 hours and 20 minutes for this 4.60-pound rack to get there. This time is a guideline. Using a fork test the meat every so often turning the ribs over midway through baking. If flipping the ribs feels like too big of a process then don't. While it is better to flip they will still be good. The fork should come out easily when the ribs are ready. Once the ribs are tender they are ready for the grill. Or if you'd like you can carefully drain the liquid, cool the ribs and refrigerate to use the next day. If making in advance be sure to bring the ribs to room temperature before placing them on the grill.
While the ribs are cooking it is a good time to make my Dad's Special Sauce. Just combine all of the ingredients together and set aside. It's that easy.
I like to grill the ribs meaty side down without sauce. When they start heating up and getting some grill marks to turn over and start to brush the sauce on the ribs. Once some sauce is added cook a little and them flip over. Repeat this process, layering as much of the sauce as you want, onto the meat as it continues cooking. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
Frankie's Barbecued Ribs are ready! They are picture perfect and tastes just as delicious.
Feel free to serve with additional sauce for dipping. Say goodbye to thick goopy sauces ad say hello to delicious. You will love these.
Enjoy!