Grilled Spare Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

This comes from an Everyday Food (a Martha Stewart magazine) issue and has become a family favorite. It also gets rave reviews from everyone we serve it to. I'm not a big fan of ribs but these changed my mind. They require a bit of work but are well worth the time and energy. In fact, these are part of Kelly's Father's Day dinner.
Grilled Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
2 slabs pork spare ribs (2 1/2 pounds each)
2 Tbsp. chili powder
coarse salt and ground pepper
oil (for grates on BBQ)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season ribs with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stack slabs on a double layer of aluminum foil; wrap tightly. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook until meat is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Barbecue Sauce - Base
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 small onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
plus ingredients based on chosen variation (choose from Kansas City Style, Memphis Style, or Dallas Style)

Kansas City Style
In step 2, stir in 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. molasses, and 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard.

Memphis Style
In step 2, stir in 1/2 tsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco) and 1/4 cup sugar.

Dallas Style
In step 2, stir in 1 Tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin.

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, cayenne, and desired variation. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Grilling Directions:
Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grate. Carefully remove ribs from foil, pouring off any accumulated liquid. Brush ribs generously with sauce; grill until charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with extra sauce, if desired.

Comments

Michelle said…
This recipe has converted me to loving ribs! They were fantastic yesterday. Thanks!!

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