createCarolines Award Winning Baby Back Ribs - Memphis In May 1987
Back in the mid 80’s my baby sister got on a plane in Shannon (Ireland) and flew off to Memphis with her recipe for baby back ribs..arrived at “Memphis in May” and won first prize in her category against some serious old timers with secret old family recipes etc!!!. Costco baby back pork ribs are perfect for this recipe.
Ready
RIBS
- Choose meaty pork baby back ribs (this recipe for 8-10 pounds)
DRY RUB
- ½ kg dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic salt
- ½ tablespoon Chinese 5 Spice
- 1 ½ tablespoons of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
- 3 tablespoons+ dried oregano
WET SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 400 ml water
- 200 ml Heinz Ketchup
- 100 ml white or balsamic vinegar
- 100 ml Lee and Perrins Worchestershire Sauce
- ½ kg dark brown sugar
- 250 grams orange concentrate
Set
- Large flat heavy cookie trays
- 1 saucepan.
Go
DRY RUB
- Combine all ingredients.
- Rub into ribs two days in advance of cooking.
- Refrigerate.
- Place dry-rubbed ribs on baking sheet face down.
- Cook 2 ½ - 3 hours on lowest heat possible.
- Ribs are finished when they come away gently from the bone. (Option…if you have made the wet sauce early you can put small amount of wet sauce on ribs prior to baking).
WET SAUCE
- Combine all wet sauce ingredients except concentrate.
- Cook over very low heat until reduced to half.
- Add concentrate. Cook another 20 minutes over very low heat.
- Baste ribs with wet sauce.
- Put ribs on barbeque grill medium heat.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes turning once.
- Put extra heated wet sauce on table for dipping.
What you should know
(any leftover dry rub can be stored in a jar for up to three months in a refrigerator)
You can add “heat” by adjusting pepper type used. This recipe is slightly hot..in my opinion perfect. My sister heats the wet sauce, puts the hot ribs from the oven into a large cooler adds the wet sauce and seals the top with the lid for 20 mins. This causes the sauce to really permeate the meat and makes them wonderfully messy to handle..finger lickin good in the best sense of the word.
John
John,
Thanks for that..sounds like a terrific adjustment. Alas..as a vegetarian (now) I cannot taste the difference..imagine it instead. This reminds me of a story. My son was turning 5 and I had, as usual, too many guests and made all the food myself. I made a lovely dish by my cookbook friend Martha (not the jailbird!!) and tweaked the recipe slightly because I did not have ground cumin and decided to just toast some whole and add it instead. When she came to the party and tasted it she graciously said..”I should have thought of that…” Foodie people without egos are the coolest..
John
John, I’m one of those former chefs that don’t believe in “secret” recipes. The more people experiment, exchange, and share recipes, the more perspectives, with sometimes surprising improvements.
Being a baby back rib lover myself, it’s exciting to see another great rib recipe, especially from an award winner. I especially love the idea of letting the dry rub sit for 2 days! Just don’t know if I can wait that long!
Your recipe says to cook at the lowest heat possible, which I also recommend in my rib recipe. I found cooking between 275 and 300 is ideal. And cook ‘em till they fall apart! Mmmm! Glad to know you’ve got a winner in the family - thanks for sharing!
Beth
John, love this recipe! But as always, I tinker. Inspired by the Chinese five spice, I reduced some of the ketchup and added Asian plum sauce. You should try it. It compliments the dry rub and adds a nice note on the taste.