Sweet and savory, luscious and messy, BBQ pork short ribs are just perfect for March Madness. They can be made in advance and heated up in any galley oven, then slathered with this fabulous Chipotle Bourbon BBQ sauce. Every game viewing meat eater will stop biting their nails for a brief moment and gnaw on these tasty bones instead. And who is Dusty’s Mom, you ask? That’s a very good question. I have no idea other than perhaps the cook behind the recipe card that was handed to me by …I’m thinking… a friend of Dusty’s Mom?? Enjoy!
Dry rub
For 1 rack of baby back pork ribs
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, Lawry’s salt, thyme or sage, onion powder
Mix all dry ingredients together. This rub makes easily enough to cover both sides of the rack, so be generous, especially on the meat-up side. Press the dry rub firmly into the meat.
Cover and refrigerate for a least one hour. In February in Annapolis we know where the biggest and best refrigerator is….the cockpit.
Preheat oven to ~250º-300º
Braising liquid
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Mix all ingredients together. Pour the braising liquid over the rids, recover very tightly with the foil and bake 2 1/2 – 3 hours until tender.
Bourbon BBQ Sauce
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 small can chipotle chiles, minced with its can juices
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, or to taste salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tablespoons chipotle powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch of ground cloves
Mince/pulverize the chipotle peppers until they are very paste-like. Mix all ingredients together. Adjust any seasonings to taste. This can be made a day or two ahead. The longer it rests (in the refrigerator) the better the flavor’s blend.
Spoon, brush or slather the sauce onto the ribs.
Pop back into the hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Light your broiler if you want it to brown up a bit. If you have access to a grill, all the better. Place the BBQ’d ribs, meat up on an indirect grill and smoke for 20-30 minutes.
Cut the ribs apart and serve! Keep an additional bowl of BBQ sauce on the side for those who want more.
Dusty's Mom's Ribs with Chipotle Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- For one rack of baby back pork ribs
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 3 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 1 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp each of cayenne pepper, Lawry's salt, thyme or sage, onion powder
Braising liquid
- 1 cup White wine
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar or white Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 4 Cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 Medium onion, thinly sliced
Chipotle Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 1¼ cups Ketchup
- ¼ cup Bourbon
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Liquid smoke
- ½ can Chipotle chiles, minced with its can juices
- 2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Chilli powder
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- 2 tbsp Chipotle powder
- 1 tsp Curry powder
- Pinch of ground cloves
Instructions
Dry Rub
- Mix all dry rubs ingredients together. This rub makes easily enough to cover both sides of the rack, so be generous, especially on the meat-up side. Press the dry rub firmly into the meat.
- Cover and refrigerate for a least one hour.
Braising liquid
- Preheat oven to ~250º-300º
- Mix all ingredients together. Pour the braising liquid over the rids, recover very tightly with the foil.
- Bake 2 1/2 - 3 hours until tender.
Chipotle Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Mince/pulverize the chipotle peppers until they are very paste-like. Mix all ingredients together. Adjust any seasonings to taste. This can be made a day or two ahead. The longer it rests (in the refrigerator) the better the flavor's blend.
Final Grill
- Spoon, brush or slather the sauce onto the ribs.
- Pop back into the hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Light your broiler if you want it to brown up a bit. If you have access to a grill, all the better. Place the BBQ'd ribs, meat up on an indirect grill and smoke for 20-30 minutes.
- Cut the ribs apart and serve! Keep an additional bowl of BBQ sauce on the side for those who want more.
Notes
