There are more recipes for making ribs than hot sauce brands.  Folks have fights over dry rubs, wet rubs, mop sauces, finishing sauces, to smoke or not to smoke, etc…..but all we wanted were tasty ribs without baby-sitting a smoldering fire all day.  We know this is a sacrilege to the pit masters, but if we want authentic slow smoked ribs, there are plenty of places to get take-out without wasting all day.

We’ve tried many variations on fuss-free ribs, especially if we need to make a bunch of other food for a party/tailgate.   The cooking science was all essentially the same – a slow cooking method with a bit of acid (vinegar, lemon, lime) and salt was needed to break down the tough connective tissue.  Flavor can be infused before, during, and after slow cooking.

We used a braising step followed by a grilling step to get the right texture, and we maximize flavor by glazing at the end with one of our favorite Serious Foodie gourmet sauces:  New Zealand Tamarillo Grill Sauce.Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with salt and pepper to taste (or the optional dry rub which should have salt and pepper included). Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate, preferably overnight

Pork Spare Ribs with New Zealand Tamarillo Grill Sauce

If you want a bit of extra flavor, you can dry-rub the ribs before braising (Serious Foodie Chinese, Asian Fusion, or Filipino Rubs play well with the New Zealand sauce). Rub the ribs with the spice blend, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine New Zealand
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 racks St. Louis cut ribs or baby back ribs
  • Serious Foodie Rub Optional
  • 1 bottle Beer we like a brown ale, but a fruity pale ale will do
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cloves garlic rough chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium is best
  • 1 jar Serious Foodie New Zealand Tamarillo Grill Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Optional dry rub step: Pat the ribs dry on both sides with a paper towel. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of plastic wrap, long enough to wrap around the meat. Sprinkle each side generously with Serious Foodie optional dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat, then wrap tightly with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate, preferably overnight
  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the refrigerate, and place in a baking dish. In the meantime, make the braising liquid by stirring together the beer, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic, and soy sauce.
  • Add the braising liquid to the ribs, and tightly cover the pan. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 hours.
  • Remove the ribs, and allow to cool (you can do this one day in advance, and refrigerate the ribs overnight). Place on a pre-heated grill (medium to medium high), meat side up. Coat meaty side of the ribs with the Serious Foodie New Zealand Tamarillo Sauce (or your other favorite Serious Foodie sauce). Grill for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce caramelizes. (Alternatively, you can place the ribs under a broiler). Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions, and serve with a side of the Serious Foodie sauce.

Notes

This recipe works well with a pumped-up slaw - check out our versions HERE.

Purchase the Serious Foodie New Zealand Grill Sauce Now!

 

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