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Baby back ribs with barbecue sauce

Neil Perry
Neil Perry

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Sticky stuff: The spicy-sweet rub and sauce turn the ribs into a finger-licking feast.
Sticky stuff: The spicy-sweet rub and sauce turn the ribs into a finger-licking feast.William Meppem

Fire up the barbecue for these tender smoky ribs. The recipe uses ancho chilli, a milder-style chilli used in Mexican cooking.

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Ingredients

For the rub

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 tsp sea salt

  • 2 tsp brown sugar

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tbsp ancho chilli powder

  • 1/2 tbsp ground coriander

  • 1/2 tbsp smoky paprika powder

  • 2 tsp ground black pepper

  • 2 racks baby back pork ribs

For the sauce

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 red onion, chopped

  • pinch of salt

  • 25g tinned chipotles in adobe sauce (about one chilli)

  • 400g tinned diced tomatoes

  • 125ml apple cider vinegar

  • 80ml dark soy sauce

  • 150g brown sugar

  • fresh lime wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Pound half the garlic with the salt in a mortar with a pestle, then mix through all the remaining dry ingredients for the rub. Rub this mixture evenly into the ribs on both sides and leave to marinate while preparing the sauce.

    Preheat oven to 150°C. In a saucepan, heat oil on medium and sauté the onion with the pinch of salt and the rest of the garlic until starting to turn golden. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce for about 5 minutes. Process with a stick blender, then baste ribs in sauce so it is covered and reduce the rest for the glaze (you should be reducing more than half the amount). Wrap completely in foil.

    Place the foil-wrapped ribs on a baking tray and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender. Continue to reduce the rest of the sauce on the stovetop until it becomes a sticky glaze.

    Preheat the barbecue on a medium heat. Char-grill ribs, turning and basting with the glaze, until charred and sticky, about 8-10 minutes. Slice and serve on a platter with some fresh lime.

     

    Correction: The original version of this recipe listed the wrong quantity of chipotle chilli.  This has been amended in the recipe above.

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Neil PerryNeil Perry is a restaurateur, chef and former Good Weekend columnist.

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