Southwest Baby Back Ribs with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Prep: 30 minutes plus marinating • Grill: 1-1/2 hours • Serves: 8

Ribs

4 garlic cloves, crushed with press
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons crushed oregano
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
8 pounds baby back pork ribs

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

3 cups ketchup
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile peppers in adobo

1. Prepare Ribs: In small bowl, whisk together garlic, sugar, oregano, dry mustard, salt, chili powder, orange zest, pepper and allspice. Peel skin from bone side of each rib slab. Place rib slabs on rimmed baking pans. Coat all sides of ribs with rub; cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Prepare Chipotle BBQ Sauce: In small saucepot, whisk together all ingredients. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Place ribs on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until ribs are tender and meat easily pulls away from bone, turning every 20 minutes. If ribs begin to burn with all burners on medium, reduce heat to low or turn off 1 of the burners. Brush ribs generously with BBQ sauce during last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve ribs with remaining BBQ sauce.

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 669 Calories, 42g Fat (16g Saturated), 137mg Cholesterol, 1671mg Sodium, 42g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 32g Protein

Chef Tip
Rubbing meats with herbs and spices adds flavor, creates a crispy crust and tenderizes the meat. Removing the thin layer of skin on the underside of the ribs prior to applying a rub allows the rub to penetrate the meat. To peel skin from ribs, turn the ribs bone-side-up. With a sharp paring knife, carefully lift up the edge of the skin from a corner of the slab. Work your fingers between the skin and rib meat to loosen the skin. Grab the skin with a paper towel and pull the skin across the slab to remove.