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Ernest's Baby Back Ribs

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Living: A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen"


Recipe Introduction

"Ernest Pillow has been perfecting his secret recipe since the 1970s. I was able to get enough information out of him, while reverse engineering my own concoction after tasting his delicious ribs, to come up with this recipe."

List of Ingredients

Rub:
◦  2 tablespoons kosher salt
◦  2 tablespoons light brown sugar
◦  2 tablespoons chili powder
◦  2 tablespoons smoked paprika
◦  1 tablespoon ground cumin
◦  1½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦  1 teaspoon ground red pepper

Ribs:
◦  3 slabs baby back pork ribs (about 3 pounds each)
◦  ¼ cup vegetable oil
◦  2 cups hickory chips
◦  Habanero Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)




Recipe

Prepare rub:
Combine salt and next six ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a fork to break apart and blending thoroughly.

Prepare ribs:
Remove thin membrane from back of ribs by slicing into it with a paring knife, and then pulling it off. (This will make ribs more tender and allow the smoke to penetrate the meat.) Rub both sides of ribs with oil; sprinkle both sides of ribs liberally with rub mixture, and rub into ribs. Place ribs on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil, and chill 8 to 24 hours. Soak hickory chips in water 30 minutes. Light one side of grill, heating to 250° F (low), leaving other side unlit; keep inside grill temperature between 225° and 250° F. Drain hickory chips, and place in center of a 14-inch piece of heavy-duty foil; wrap tightly to form a packet. Pierce several holes in top of packet; place directly on lit side of grill.

Meanwhile, let ribs stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Place ribs, bone sides down, over unlit side of grill, overlapping slabs slightly if needed. Grill ribs, covered with grill lid, 5 hours or until ribs bend slightly in middle when lifted with tongs from one end; ribs will be deep brown in color and crisp on edges. (If ribs do not bend, continue to grill, covered with grill lid, checking every 20 minutes.) Remove ribs from grill, and cover loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. To serve, cut each slab into thirds, slicing between bones. Serve with warm Habanero Barbecue Sauce.


Serves 8


Habanero Barbecue Sauce:

◦  ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
◦  ½ Vidalia or sweet onion, coarsely chopped
◦  1 habanero pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
◦  ½ jalapeño pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
◦  2 cloves garlic, minced
◦  ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
◦  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦  ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
◦  ½ cup ketchup

Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Pulse mixture with a handheld blender until smooth, being sure that no small pieces or chunks remain. (If you don't have a handheld blender, process in a regular blender until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan, and proceed with recipe.) Stir in brown sugar and ketchup.

Simmer mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until slightly thickened and blended. Serve immediately, or cool sauce to room temperature, and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use; reheat sauce before serving.


Makes 2 cups