Spice-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs With Chipotle-Bourbon BBQ Sauce

By Steven Raichlen

Spice-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs With Chipotle-Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Tara Donne for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Chris Lanier
Total Time
2½ to 3½ hours
Rating
4(268)
Notes
Read community notes

The baby back (sometimes called top loin) is the perfect rib for neophytes. Cut from high on the hog — literally, it abuts the backbone — it’s intrinsically tender and generously marbled, which keeps it moist during smoking. Thanks to these attributes, you can cook it at a higher temperature than the low-and-slow heat favored in the American barbecue belt. This shortens the cooking time and lets you cook the ribs on a common charcoal kettle grill. (However, you can certainly smoke these ribs low and slow at 250 degrees, in which case, you’ll need 3½ to 4 hours of cooking time — and a smoker.) The higher heat and shorter cooking time produce ribs with a firmer, meatier consistency. Add a chile-stung spice rub and a sweet, spicy chipotle-bourbon barbecue sauce, and you wind up with textbook barbecued ribs with a distinctive sweet, hot, smoky finish.

Featured in: 6 Steps to the Best Barbecued Ribs

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Ingredients

Yield:2 racks (2 to 4 servings)

    For the Ribs

    • 2racks baby back ribs (2 to 2½ pounds each)
    • 2tablespoons Dijon mustard

    For the Rub

    • 1tablespoon chile powder
    • 1tablespoon dark brown sugar
    • 2teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2teaspoons black pepper
    • ¼teaspoon celery seeds

    For Grilling

    • 2large or 4 small hardwood chunks or 3 cups hardwood chips (if using the latter, soak in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drain)
    • ½cup apple cider in a spray bottle (optional)

    For the Chipotle-bourbon Barbecue Sauce

    • 1¼cups ketchup
    • ⅓cup Thai sweet chile sauce
    • ¼cup bourbon
    • 3tablespoons dark brown sugar
    • 3tablespoons molasses
    • 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 to 2canned chipotle chiles en adobo, minced, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sauce
    • 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½teaspoon liquid smoke
    • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1383 calories; 84 grams fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 35 grams monounsaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 41 grams sugars; 100 grams protein; 2210 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet. If the concave side of your ribs still has its papery membrane intact, remove it: Pry it up at the end of the bones using the tip of a meat thermometer or butter knife, then pull it off with a paper towel. Lightly brush the ribs on both sides with the mustard.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the rub: In a small bowl, combine the chile powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper and celery seeds. Reserve 1½ teaspoons rub for serving, then sprinkle the remaining rub on the ribs, coating both sides.

  3. Step 3

    Set up your charcoal grill for indirect grilling and heat to 300 degrees.

  4. Step 4

    Once the grill comes to temperature, add half the wood chunks or chips to the coals. Arrange the ribs meat (rounded) side up on the grate away from the heat, then cover the grill. Grill the ribs over indirect heat for 1 hour.

  5. Step 5

    After the ribs have grilled for 1 hour, spray on both sides with apple cider (if using), turning the ribs with tongs. Add the remaining wood chunks or chips to the fire and close the grill again.

  6. Step 6

    While the ribs grill, prepare the barbecue sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients, along with ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, in a heavy saucepan and whisk to mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often. Reduce the heat and gently simmer the sauce, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, 6 to 8 minutes. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste; set aside. (Makes about 2 cups.)

  7. Step 7

    Continue grilling the ribs over indirect heat, rounded side up, until sizzling, browned, tender, and the meat has shrunk back from the ends of the bones by ¼ to ½ inch. This normally takes 2 to 2½ hours in all, but sometimes you’ll need a full 3 hours. The last 20 minutes, brush the ribs on both sides with some of the barbecue sauce. When ready, the meat should be tender enough so you can pull the individual ribs apart with your fingers.

  8. Step 8

    Brush each rack on both sides with more barbecue sauce. Move each rack directly over the fire and direct grill to sizzle the sauce into the meat, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

  9. Step 9

    Transfer the ribs to a platter for serving. Brush once more with barbecue sauce and sprinkle the ribs with the remaining rub. Serve the remaining sauce in a bowl on the side.

Ratings

4 out of 5
268 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Jean

some remind us to take the membrane off the ribs before adding the rub.

TCS

What about smoking ribs indoors? Desperate times like these call for desperate measures. I know it smacks of heresy, but you can achieve a reasonable approximation of barbecued ribs in the oven. Cook them on a rack in a roasting pan at 300 degrees. To add a smoke flavor, mix one-half teaspoon liquid smoke with four tablespoons melted butter, and brush this mixture on both sides of the ribs a few times during the last hour of cooking.

John Viertel

I'm very intrigued by the sauce recipe (I've smoked a lot of ribs and have my own ideas about rubs, apple cider, etc.), but I wouldn't add liquid smoke to anything. If the ribs are properly barbecued, they shouldn't need any help in the smoke department. But that sauce sure sounds interesting. Might add a little vinegar to cut the sweetness, but not the first time I make it.

Kerry

A good approach to ribs for sure. But I don't understand the obsession with sugar in bbq sauce. To my sauce I add things like cumin, allspice, orange juice & zest, cider vinegar, pureed onions (and yes, liquid smoke). The sugar in the ketchup is plenty. To me the extra sugar masks the complexities brought on by the various ingredients.

Pat

Liquid smoke may not be needed if you get enough of the real thing on your ribs. But it is real hardwood smoke percolated through water and so not to be despised. Use real wood if you can and choose your flavor (cherry wood for me, or oak) but if you can't, use a good liquid smoke guilt free.

Simplicity

Liquid smoke is just water that has had hickory smoke bubbled through it. It's less likely to permeate the fat of the ribs than "real" smoke, but if you have to cook ribs in an oven because you don't have a grill, it's considerably better than no smoke at all. I'd never use it when wood chips are an option, but it's acceptable if they aren't.

JCT

I agree — liquid smoke is heresy. If you want smokier ribs, it's really easy to add a foil pack of soaked chips (e.g., hickory, mesquite, cherry) to the coals.

Stephan

Takes some time. I had it on a weber gas grill with only one of three burners going. Kept it steady at 300 for about 3 hrs and 15 min. Used a smoke box with mesquite chips and mesquite liquid smoke for the sauce. I liked it and more importantly so did the fam! Glad there's some sauce left. And my beard smells of mesquite hours later. I'm going to make this again.

maxG

Made this last night and it was a hit. Used pomegranate molasses which I make myself (takes forever but worth it). And used Gochujang korean sweet hot sauce rather than Thai sweet chili sauce and that all seemed to work.Didn't use liquid smoke as my hickory smoke from the grill I hoped was good enough. Cooked about 3 hours until internal temp was 200 degrees.

John T

This recipe is amazing. The barbecue sauce is easily the best I've ever tasted.

Susan

add garlic /smoked paprika omit liquid smoke

George Nixon

Like some others, I omitted the liquid smoke and sugar from my sauce, adding a bit of broth to extend it. This was a first using chipotle peppers and it was fantastic. A wand blender added a smoother texture. I did my ribs on a 3-2-1 method. Best smoke to date. I plan to use this sauce on some cubes of tofu this weekend for my wife who isn’t a rib person.

m

Going to try this recipe on the green egg for the Super Bowl. One question, since I’ll be using the indirect conveggtor plate for the main part of cooking, it might be kinda a pain to swap it out for the final direct heat “sizzle” step. Could the same thing be accomplished in the oven with the broiler?

Kate

Bring to 300 then 1 hr. Then brush with vinegar and flip rounded side down for hour 2, then rounded side up for hour 3. Then check. I put in for 20 more minutes. Then very light sauce and turns up heat 10 min. Shift where each rib is and 10 more min Substitute Thai chili with honey and sorscha Sub chipotle with chipotle spice and tomato paste.

Kate

Grill one side medium low other side off. Place ribs over off side. About 300

Brooke

Any ideas on how to do these in an Instant Pot? I’ve made Asian-flavored ribs in mine once and they were a HUGE hit! I’m not enough of a natural cook to trust myself with just winging it…

Nina

I don't have a grill, can I cook these in the oven wrapped in foil instead?

Squirrel Butler

Somehow I am missing something in the directions. They say: "Arrange the ribs meat (rounded) side up" for one hour, then " turning the ribs with tongs" after the hour is up. I assume that means turning them over so the meat side is now down.... Then..."Continue grilling the ribs over indirect heat, rounded side up" When the heck did those ribs get back to the "rounded side up"?? There is no step telling you when to flip them back like that!! Help!!

EricJM

You're going to start rounded side up for one hour, then turn and go another hour. As you start the 3rd hour, turn them back to rounded side up. You may not need full 3rd hour, but you are looking for the signs mentioned (exposed bones, pull apart texture), and this is when the sauce is applied and ribs are put over direct heat to sear the sauce. While not written that is the intent.

Miffy

The sauce was sublime! Left out the liquid smoke, but don’t skip the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice! Excellent recipe.

kirk

Lemon zest not lime. My typo. It was great

kirk

Followed the ingredients recipes, cooked low and slow on a Weber bullet smoker. Excellent ribs and (while sweet) the sauce was enlightening. Never had I thought of combining bourbon with lime zest. It was great. Thanks

MTS

If they are not "falling off the bone", does that mean I should cook them longer? or that I cooked them too long?

EricJM

Cook them longer.

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