What's on the Grill #97
Herb Encrusted Rotisserie Baby Back Ribs and Ribs with Sweet Irish Red Sauce! I am in luck. Bob loves ribs. This afternoon, we swung by Sam's and picked up a rib cryo pack. Two racks for tonight, and one in the near future for me!
A few months ago I entered Mario Batali's grilling video contest. Unfortunately, I did not place. I think my video was the victim of not enough "cheese" and a recipe with less than 30 ingredients! Regardless, I was quite happy with the recipe I came up with: Herb Encrusted Rotisserie Back Back Ribs.
Since we felt like a little bit of variety tonight, we decided to grill a traditional rubbed rack as well.
After both racks were removed the cryo pack and rinsed off, I removed the membrane. To me, this is an incredibly important step and it is incredibly easy to do. With your ribs meat side down and bone side up, take a small knife and insert it under the membrane and on top of a bone. Lift slightly upward.
Once you can get a good finger hold, take a paper towel to grasp the membrane and pull it off off the rib.
Herb Encrusted Baby Back Ribs
1 Rack of Baby Back Ribs
Salt & fresh cracked Pepper
2 Tbsp fresh Basil chopped
2 Tbsp fresh Marjoram chopped
2 Tbsp fresh Thyme chopped
2 Tbsp fresh Oregano chopped
2 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley
1/3 Cup Basil & Garlic Infused Olive Oil
(NOTE: Today I only used flat leaf parsley and oregano. To make up the difference, I added some sage too. It was all I had on hand!)
1. Remove your ribs from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.
2. Remove the membrane: Take your rack of baby back ribs and turn them over so that the meat faces down and the bones face up. Slide a knife over a bone and under the membrane approximately half an inch, then lift up to separate the membrane from the bone. You should life the membrane enough to give you a finger hold. Once the membrane is partially lifted away, use a paper towel for grip and pull all of the membrane from the backside of the ribs.
3. Preheat your grill to approximately 250 degrees and prepare for indirect cooking by lighting only the outside gas burners. If using charcoal, prepare coals to only one side of the kettle.
4. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the rack of ribs.
5. Mix together the chopped Basil, Marjoram, Thyme, Oregano, and Parsley. Once mixed, generously sprinkle the herbs over both sides of the rack of ribs. Press the herbs into the meat with your fingertips.
4. Thread the rack of ribs on to your rotisserie spit. When you are done, your ribs should form a long “s” on the spit. Secure each end with rotisserie tines.
5. With the grill pre-heated, prepare your rotisserie and place the spit on the grill. It might be a good idea to use a drip pan to catch any fat that falls of the ribs.
6. Turn your rotisserie motor on and close the hood! No peaking! Your ribs should spin and grill for 3 hours.
7. Approximately 30 minutes before completion, baste the ribs once with basil and garlic infused olive oil.
8. You know the ribs are done when the meat has pulled away from the end of the bone by approximately half an inch.
For the rubbed ribs, I used some left over bonedust seasoning from last week. For the sauce, I made a variation of a sauce from Ted Reader's book.
Sweet Irish Red Sauce
Adapted from Ted Reader's King of the Q's Blue Plate BBQ
p.152
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Irish Red Beer (Any Irish Red style beer will do. Michelob & Sam Adams are two.)
2 tsp Bonedust Seasoning
Just mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. I brush the sauce on the ribs during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Both racks of ribs turned out spot on. Bob and I finished them off easily...too easily in fact. I can still feel it in my stomach, and I can definitely still smell it on my fingers! Ahhh, the sign of a good meal.
In the spirit of continuing Bob's grilling tour de force, tomorrow we are going to grill brisket. Stay tuned.