Coffee Dry Rub Ribs

A new restaurant opened in my neighbourhood: AAA.  The menu includes pulled pork sandwiches, smoked brisket and these amazing smoked dry rub ribs served with Bourbon BBQ sauce.  Last time we visited this amazing establishment Mr.C and I ate 3 baskets (yes… 3 baskets - the owners gave us free shots to commemorate this moment of pure gluttony…).  Ever since that delicious dinner I’ve been obsessed with recreating these incredible ribs.

I posted this recipe for slow cooked BBQ ribs a few weeks ago.  They are delicious but I wanted to try a recipe for dry rubbed ribs with a side of BBQ sauce.  Since I don’t have a smoker or a BBQ, I needed an oven recipe. 

Like most of my recipes, you can prepare the ribs in advance.  Simply rub the ribs with the spice mix, warp them in aluminum foil and place them in a resealable freezer bag.  Thaw completely before cooking.

The original recipe slow cooked the ribs at 300°F for 3 hours.  Unfortunately my mind was elsewhere when I was preparing the ribs and set the oven at 400°F instead…  I noticed my mistake after an hour of cooking…  I took a quick reading with my meat thermometer and it showed that the meat was cooked to perfection.  I was afraid that the meat was going to be though and dry but instead it was moist and delicious!  So the choice is up to you; you can either cook the ribs at 300°F for 3 hours or for 1 hour at 400°F.  I’ve only prepared these ribs once but the result was a great success and I will definitely make them again! 

This spice mix recipe yields enough rub for 4 large racks of ribs.  Simply place the leftover rub in an airtight container for the next time you crave these delicious ribs!

For the BBQ Sauce, you can replace a few ingredients.  I like to use the molasses; it really adds richness to the sauce but you could substitute it for honey.  I like to serve the sauce on the side rather than smothering the ribs in it. 

Spicy Coffee Dry Rub Ribs

Yields 4 portions

Ingredients

§  2 ½ tablespoons chili powder

§  2 tablespoons ground coffee

§  2 tablespoons ground cumin

§  1 tablespoon ground coriander

§  1 tablespoon salt

§  1 tablespoon paprika

§  1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

§  ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

§  ½ teaspoon dry mustard

§  ½ teaspoon garlic powder

§  ¼ teaspoon cayenne

§  2 large racks of baby back ribs

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Rinse the racks of ribs with cold water and pat dry. 

In a bowl, mix together all the spices. 

Rub approximately ¼ cup of the dry rub on both sides of each rack of ribs.

Using your hands, work the rub onto the meat.  Let rest for about 30 minutes.

Place a grill rack in the roasting pan and pour enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Place the ribs on the grill over a pan, bone side down.
I prefer to cook the full rack and cut sections of the rack once the ribs are cooked.

Cook for 1 hour.

Whiskey BBQ Sauce

Yields approximately 1½ cup

Ingredients

§  1 cup ketchup

§  ¼ cup molasses

§  3 tablespoons Whiskey

§  2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

§  2 teaspoons paprika

§  2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

§  1 teaspoon garlic powder

§  1 teaspoon onion powder

§  1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in large saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently (about 15 minutes).

Refrigerate and serve at room temperature.

This sauce can be prepared up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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