Barbecue Ribs with Spiced Rum Pineapple Sauce
Are you ready for the best ever barbecue ribs? These super tender, barbecue ribs are glazed in the most delicious spiced rum pineapple sauce. Note: with one rack of ribs, you'll most likely have extra sauce. This can be reserved for barbecue chicken or other meat. Just make sure not to contaminate your sauce by inserting the brush.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 2 racks of baby back pork ribs
For the spiced rum pineapple sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Simmer the sauce. In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together the ketchup, maple syrup and molasses. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Blend and add to sauce. Meanwhile, add the pineapple, garlic, spiced rum, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, ginger, and cayenne pepper to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the blended ingredients to the simmering sauce and stir for 3 to 4 minutes more. Then turn off the heat.
- Prep the sheet pan. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil with enough overhang to wrap the ribs. Pro tip: I like to double layer the aluminum foil, to prevent any leaks.
- Prep the ribs. Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Remove the thin membrane on the underside of the ribs. Pro tip: You can also ask the butcher to do this when you buy your ribs. Then place the ribs on the foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the ribs in the oven. Take 1 cup of the sauce and mix it with an equal amount of water. Pour this on top of and around the ribs, then lightly wrap the foil around them. Bake the ribs for 3 hours. This process steams the meat, making it incredibly tender while infusing it with flavor.
- Option 1: Finish the ribs on the grill (my preferred method). Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. After the ribs have finished cooking, use tongs to transfer them to a large platter to carry them to your grill. Note that the ribs will be VERY tender (i.e. fall apart tender) so I recommend using two tongs for stability. Use the remaining sauce to generously brush both sides of the ribs. Place the ribs on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Brush additional sauce as desired while grilling, then slice and serve immediately.
- Option 2: Finish the ribs in the oven. After the ribs have finished cooking, remove them from the oven and carefully discard the aluminum foil with watered-down sauce. Place the ribs back on the baking sheet and use the remaining sauce to generously brush both sides of the ribs. Broil the ribs (meat side up) for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce begins to caramelize. Brush additional sauce as desired while broiling, then slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe serves 6 people (each rack serves 3 people). There are about 12 ribs per rack, so each serving about is 4 ribs.
- If you have any leftover BBQ sauce, it's delicious on my grilled chicken recipe as well!
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 514mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg