A Rib-Ticklin' Good Time

As you may or may not know, for my 23rd birthday, I decided to make a big boy purchase and get a myself a nice grill. I've never been a big fan of gas grills because (though it's more earth friendly) nothing beats the taste of food cooked in a charcoal grill. So I bought a Weber grill which has been nothing short of amazing.

This leads us to our post! "Cook This, Not That" has some great recipes for grilling. One of them was for Dr. Pepper Ribs. Buying a full rack of ribs at Outback or Chili's will set you back about 3,000 calories and a LOT of sodium. So unless you're Michael Phelps or an NFL offensive lineman, those delicious ribs can come at an unhealthy cost. Luckily, this recipe cuts the calorie count to less than 600 calories with a lower amount of sodium and only 5 grams of saturated fat. The trick is in the seasoning and making your own barbecue sauce. Without further ado, here is your shopping list:

2 racks of baby back ribs

1 2-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper

1/4 cup of salt

1 tbsp. of Chili powder

1/2 teaspon of cayenne pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 of an onion, minced

1/2 tbsp canola oil

1 cup of water

2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup of ketchup (preferably the kind with no high fructose corn syrup)

This dish tastes best when prepared one day in advance.

1. Pour out 1/2 cup of the Dr. Pepper, save it for the barbecue sauce.

2. Place both racks of ribs in a baking dish and cover with the rest of the Dr. Pepper.

3. Add the 1/4 cup of salt and let marinate for at least 2 hours of overnight. Leaving them overnight will allow the Dr. Pepper to really get into the muscle and make for really tender ribs.

4. When it's time to take the ribs out, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

5. Discard the liquid and pat the ribs dry. Rub both racks with the Chili powder. Place back on the baking dish and cover tightly with foil and into the oven they go. Bake for 2 hours.

6. While the ribs are cooking, start the barbecue sauce. In a sauce pan heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion. I had to remind myself of the golden rule after burning the garlic: LOW AND SLOW! I had no idea why I rushed, I had 2 hours.

7. When the garlic and onion are fragrant and soft, add the ketchup, vinegar, cayenne pepper, worcestershire sauce, and remaining Dr. Pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until it thickens a bit.

8. About 30 minutes before the ribs are about done, preheat your grill. If you have a charcoal grill, place the coals on one side, leaving a cool side to cook. If you have a gas grill, turn on one side of burners to medium heat, leaving a cool side to cook.

9. When the ribs are done, cut in half and transfer to the cool part of the grill, meat side up. Smother them with the barbecue sauce and cover for about 20 to 25 minutes.

10. The last couple of minutes cooking, you can flip the ribs over and allow them to char just a bit.

11. Grab some paper towels and dig in!

Here are some pictures of our culinary adventure.

The pictures above are of the ribs. This picture is of Chelsea and Miles (my roommate) enjoying the ribs.

This picture is of another beer from the India Wells Brewing Co. It's called Lobotomy Bock, it's very high in the alcohol content but it's very smooth and if you like dark beers it's very good and a decent companion to the ribs.

Until next time, bon apetit y buen provecho.