When it’s time to think about a special Father’s Day meal, my mind immediately goes to ribs. My late father, Peter Workman, loved ribs more than anyone I’ve ever known. If given a choice between a Michelin-starred restaurant and a pile of sticky, saucy ribs, the man would have picked ribs every time.
This was one of the recipes I developed for my rib-aficionado dad.
I am a fan of St. Louis-style spareribs, which are simply trimmed spareribs, with nice meatiness and fat marbling. Marinated overnight with a Cajun rub, the spareribs are first baked in the oven, cooked fairly low and fairly slow until they are basically cooked through. Then you baste them with a super flavorful barbecue sauce, and you have the option of finishing them in the oven or moving outdoors and finishing them on the grill.
If you choose the oven, you can give them even a bit more browning or caramelization once they’re done by running them under the broiler for a minute or two, watching carefully that they don’t burn.
If you prefer to finish them on the grill, you can make them ahead up to the point of grilling, which is nice for a party or if you want to get a head start on dinner. Keep them in the fridge until you are ready to complete the final cooking stage, and bring to room temperature before continuing.
Before the ribs are finished with the first stage of baking (or when you are nearing the dinner hour), preheat a gas grill to low, or prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling.
The hardest part of all is waiting for a few minutes after the ribs are done cooking before slicing them.
I suggest serving the ribs with Cajun dirty rice, coleslaw and, if you’re going for the whole Southern meal situation, maybe some homemade mac and cheese. A pie for dessert would be the ultimate celebration.
Cajun Pork Spareribs
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 (3-pound) racks St. Louis-style pork spareribs
Rub:
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Basting sauce:
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped, white and green parts
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
Directions:
Remove the membranes from the bone side of all the racks of ribs, using a sharp knife to peel the membrane off. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, salt, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Rub the seasoning all over the ribs. Place the ribs in a container or a bowl, loosely covered, and refrigerate for four to 24 hours.
Before you’re ready to cook the ribs, make the basting sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, scallions, ketchup, molasses, butter, vinegar, mustard or hot sauce and stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Let simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. You can make this ahead of time, store in the fridge for up to a week and reheat.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place the ribs bone side down in the pans and pour 1 cup of water into each pan. Cover the pans with foil and bake until the meat is tender and starts to pull away from the bones, about two hours.
Remove the pans from the oven and drain off any remaining water. Baste the ribs on all sides with the sauce. Bake uncovered for another 1/2 hour in the oven, bone side down, basting occasionally until the glaze is caramelized and sticky.
Or, brush the ribs generously with the sauce and place them on a gas grill preheated to low or charcoal grill prepared for indirect grilling. Continue to baste and grill, turning every five minutes or so for another half an hour, until the meat is very tender and the glaze is shiny. Watch carefully that the sauce doesn’t start to burn, adjusting the heat as needed.
Let the rib racks sit for 10 minutes before cutting them into individual ribs and serving.
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Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at [email protected].
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