Dr Pepper BBQ Ribs for Superbowl
We're not really big sports fans here, but any excuse to make ribs and have people over is ok with me. These ribs turned out really good-they are sticky and sweet, but not as sweet as the popular commercial sauces like KC or Sweet Baby Ray's- which I find a little too cloying.
I soaked the ribs overnight in salted Dr Pepper, remove them from the brine a couple of hours before you grill them so that they can dry well before you grill them. I made a simple dry rub of cayenne, cumin, and ground pepper and applied it before I put them on a very low charcoal grill. You must keep all the coals off to one side of the grill and place the ribs on the side without the coals so that it becomes an indirect heat and smoke source. Add more coals to the fire as the old ones begin to extinguish. It took over three hours and I estimate the grill temperature to have stayed between 275 and 300 degrees. During the last 1/2 hour of grilling, I began applying the glaze. The ribs were sweet and sticky, but they were not swimming in sauce. They were also juicy, tender and succulent. I should point out that I bought the ribs at Soulard Farmer's Market, from a local grower-you can never over state the case for good, fresh meat to start with.
Dr Pepper Glaze
2 cups Dr Pepper soda
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
Mix all of the ingredients and bring to the boil, reduce slightly until the mixture is thick and syrupy.
5 comments:
Oooh, a sweet sauce for sure. This is a good idea. Coca-cola chicken has been one on the radar, so this is great for beef.
If'n your gonna smoke food, get ya a smoker. I'd recomend a Weber Smoky Mountain. Cheap, easy to use, will hold the temps better/easier, and can put out some good Q.
BTW....not bad looking ribs.
Kevin, I do have a small electric smoker, but sometimes it makes things too smokey.
Ahhhhh....grasshopper. You must be in a Zen-like smoking trance to master the fine art of the smoker. Copius amounts of alcohol, a very good chair, (hammock would be preferred) a radio, (I prefer XM w/a remote control) are essential elements.
After that, I would have to question your air flow settings (intake and exhaust)and your wood. If you're presoaking the wood, it can (and will) putoff an acrid smoke. I always preheat my wood, but since I believe electric smokers use only chips, that makes em pretty hard to preheat. You'd be better off adding the chips dry. If you're not running the exhaust wide open, it causes the smoke to "sit" in the smoker too long, causing over-smoked food. you need to have air flow, or you will get over-smoked(ie:bitter tasting) food.
Oh, and just for the record. I am not a fan of electric smokers.
I do soak the chips, I think the instructions with the smoker said to. I'll try them dry, and leave the vents wide open next time.
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