Grilled Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Grilled Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Photograph by Iain Bagwell

SERVES 8
TIME 2 1/2 hours


Ingredients: 5 lbs. pork baby back ribs, cut into half-racks if needed to fit on grill
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cayenne
Sticky Brown Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)


Directions: 1. Remove the membrane from underside of ribs: Slide a screwdriver tip along each bone and under 1 end of membrane to loosen, then pull off.

2. Mix salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of ribs. Snugly wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect medium-low heat (300° to 350°): If using charcoal, light 60 briquets in a chimney on firegrate. When coals are covered with ash, about 20 minutes, bank evenly on opposite sides of firegrate and let burn to medium-low. Set a sturdy drip pan on grate between mounds. Add 3 or 4 more unlit briquets to each mound when ribs go on and every 30 minutes while cooking.

4. Place rib packets, bone side down, on cooking grate over indirect heat, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover grill and cook ribs until fairly tender when pierced through foil, 50 to 70 minutes.

5. Carefully remove ribs from foil. Set ribs back on grill over indirect heat, bone side up.

6. Reserve about 1/4 cup glaze. Baste ribs with remaining glaze. Cover grill and cook 10 minutes. Turn ribs over and baste with more glaze. Repeat every 10 minutes until ribs are browned and meat has shrunk back from bones, 30 to 40 minutes total.

7. Remove ribs from grill. Cover loosely with foil and let sit about 10 minutes. Brush remaining glaze over ribs.

PER SERVING (4 RIBS) WITH STICKY BROWN SUGAR GLAZE 615 Cal., 60% (369 cal.) from fat; 33 g protein; 41 g fat (15 g sat.); 27 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 441 mg sodium; 162 mg chol.

Sticky Brown Sugar Glaze

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, 3 tbsp. each cider vinegar and beer or water, 1 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes (1/2 tsp. for a mild version), and 1 tsp. dry mustard. Makes enough for 5 lbs. baby back ribs.


Serve with Zinfandel.