| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 3 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon toasted and ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon toasted and ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon crumbled achiote
- 3 racks baby back pork ribs (about 5 pounds)
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 64 ounces beer
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
- 3 medium onions, roughly cut
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 sliced and seeded jalapeno chile peppers
- Two 20-ounce cans Roma tomatoes
- 3/4 cups molasses
- 1 cup honey
- One 2-ounce can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 orange, peeled with pith removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup lime juice
Instructions
- Spice Rub Mix: Mix together all ingredients.
- Ribs: Preheat gas grill on low for 1/2 hour. If using charcoal, let the coals burn to embers, also about 1/2 hour after lighting.
- Cut the rib racks in half horizontally along the bone. Season the ribs with a 1/2 of the spice rub mix. In a large roasting pan, add chicken stock, beer, and the bay leaves. Lower the ribs into the liquid. Bring up to a simmer and poach the ribs for 15 minutes.
- Take the ribs out of the liquid and season them with the other 1/2 of the spice rub on both sides. While re-spicing the ribs, bring the liquid up to a boil over low heat to reduce.
- Take the ribs outside to the grill. The coals should be at the ember stage. Gas grills stay on low. Place ribs on the grill and cover to smoke for 2 hours. While ribs are cooking, the sauce can be finished.
- Add the olive oil to a large, preheated saute pan. Add the poblanos and onions, and saute for 5 or 6 minutes, until caramelized. Add the garlic, carrots, and jalapenos and saute another 3 minutes. Add the Roma tomatoes and let it simmer 20 minutes. Add the molasses, honey, and chipotle with adobo sauce. Add the orange, then salt and pepper. When the initial braising liquid has reduced by half, add this to the sauce mixture. Let everything simmer for 20 minutes, or pop in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
- Blend sauce mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in red wine vinegar and lime juice.
- Bring sauce to grill and brush on ribs for the last half hour of grilling.
Reviews
The mixture of spices and flavors made this dish unique compared to your normal brown sugar and chili rib rubs. That being said, there is nothing New Orleans about this dish so I’m not sure who decided on this name…
I really hated the sauce. It took so much work and it didn’t go well with the ribs, in my opinion. I’m trying to figure out what I could morph the sauce into such that I don’t have to throw it out and waste the raw materials entirely.
I was disappointed in these ribs, partly because they just don’t stack up to my easy recipe that I’ve used for over 30 years. They were somewhat dry, and the sauce is no great shakes.
Best ribs I’ve ever had. A lot of work but totally worth the effort.
I use this rub as the only one for my ribs. I have tried a lot of different ones, but this is the best. I don’t know that you need to simmer it in beer before putting it on the grill. I don’t anymore.
It takes some work and time but worth it. It was the quietest dinner we ever had in our backyard. Everyone was eating with smiles and sauce on their faces.
My family fell in love with these ribs
Best they ever tasted. Its now a new family tradition.
Best they ever tasted. Its now a new family tradition.
although i cooked the ribs a bit differently, the taste was fantastic!
Greg.D
Remsenburg NY
outstanding
use the sauce instead of the one I normally use and will probably not go back to it. Makes a lot, but that okay, will use again and again