9.5 out of 10!

Brace yourself, coming at you is another Emeril recipe. I don’t know why when I am searching through hundreds of recipes his always stick out for me. Maybe it is because a lot of his food is spicy and garlicky…my two favorite things! (I’m not even sure if garlicky is a word, but you get my point)

Tonight we had BBQ pork spare ribs, Emeril style. I’ve only made ribs one other time in my life and they were good, but I underestimated how much cooking time they would require. Tonight I went in with my eyes wide open. I knew I would not be eating until after 8:00 p.m. Don't worry, I had a snack. ;)

This was a true test of my BBQ skills. Ribs are Taylor’s favorite meal…ever. He is also a traditionalist, so I was worried he would think the ribs were not up to his standard since I am not known for going the traditional route; hence the Emeril recipe. He was pleasantly surprised. He gave these ribs and sauce a 9.5 out of 10!!! My cooking has never been so flattered. He even said the ribs were great even without the sauce but the sauce was the perfect complement. The sauce is spicy though! It starts out sweet and then gives you a good kick at the end.

The only thing I would do differently is not put the sauce on the ribs while they are on the grill or at least just put a very thin layer. The sugar in the sauce caused it to make a pretty thick crust that just made for messy ribs. If you don't mind messy ribs, go ahead and cake on that sauce!

Pork Spare Ribs with Southwestern Barbecue Sauce

Source: Emeril

2 slabs pork spare ribs, about 3 pounds each - I only used one as you can see
2 tablespoons liquid crab boil
2 teaspoons, plus 1 tablespoon salt
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
Southwestern Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

Place the ribs in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Cover with water and add the crab boil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, remaining tablespoon of salt, and cayenne. Pat the ribs dry and rub well with the spice mixture.

Lightly oil the grill rack on a barbecue grill, and preheat to medium-low (about 250 to 275 degrees F). Arrange the ribs on the rack and cover (with foil or upside down hotel pan). Cook, turning every 20 minutes, until tender, about 2 hours, replenishing charcoal as needed. During the last 20 minutes of cooking time, baste the ribs with the sauce, turning twice. Remove the ribs from the grill and serve the ribs with remaining sauce and fried pork rinds.

If you want to make this dish in the oven: After rubbing ribs with spice mixture, place them in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Remove. Slather ribs with BBQ sauce, wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap, then wrap in foil, and return to the oven to bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Southwestern Barbecue Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo, with adobo sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are lightly caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles, and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and lime juice and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the adobo sauce, tomato sauce, molasses, mustard, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain.
Yield: 4 cups