Whiskey Glazed Baby Back Ribs

I can not watch any of the shows on Food Network or Travel Channel that visit different restaurants anywhere within my vicinity.  I just can't.  It's like I have this little mini me on my shoulder telling me over & over, 'Just go. You can't live without that cheeseburger stuffed in between a Krispy Kreme donut'.  



Obviously the mini me doesn't care so much about my waistline.

It's so hard to say 'no' when that food looks so dagum good! But, this doesn't just pertain to TV shows.  This goes for magazines as well.  You know I have once driven 60 miles away for a hot dog that a particular magazine claimed was the best in the South?  The magazine had a picture of the hot dog, and it just looked SO good.  I had this whole vision of this quaint restaurant ran by a cute older lady telling me how her great great grandmother handed her down the recipe to make her hot dogs oh so special.  
Quite the opposite.  I walked into a run down ex gas station that looked like it was ran by the folks from Deliverance.  And the hot dog looked & tasted like something I got in the lunchroom in elementary school.  Not my best foodie moment, and I won't be going back for any more Deliverance Dogs.
In a totally opposite situation, I saw a rib joint called 'The Pit' featured on Man vs. Food one day, and was smitten with mouthwatering ribs they showed.  It was in Raleigh, and about 2 hours away - and my sweet husband surprised me with a trip out there to try it out.  Oh, it was Heaven.  Nothing like my Deliverance Dog.  These ribs are what all the other ribs want to be like.  If they made a gum in the flavor of them, I'd chew it.  Good does not even begin to describe them.

Well, the smitten that I had once had for these ribs quickly turned into an outright obsession.  I had to have more.  My car also had to have gas...lots and lots of gas...to take me 2 hours away to get them..then 2 hours back home.  Lots and lots of gas equals lots and lots of money...and not so much money left over for lots and lots of ribs.  



I HAD to come up with something to keep my addiction at bay.  Rib Rehab?  
I experimented for over a year with different things until I finally came up with a rib recipe that I loved as much as I loved those ribs at 'The Pit'.  Now, mine aren't pit smoked...but boy are they good.  

Proceed to this recipe with caution though.  They ARE addictive.

(This Whiskey Glaze is so good that you won't want to limit it's use to just ribs.  Try it on chicken, pork chops, salmon, etc...)

Whiskey Glazed Baby Back Ribs

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Ingredients:


For the ribs:

• 2 (2 pound) slabs of baby back ribs, silver skin removed, & cut in half
• BBQ spice mix (I like Penzey's BBQ 3000...or you could even whip up your own)

For the whiskey glaze:

• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 6oz can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons whiskey 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Rub the BBQ spice mix on the front & back of the ribs.  Wrap individually in aluminum foil, & bake for 2.5 hours.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before unwrapping.

While the ribs are cooking, combine all of the whiskey glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat.  Simmer for at least 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat your grill on high heat.  Remove the racks from the foil, & place on the grill.  Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side, basting each side with the whiskey glaze before they come off of the grill. 

Posted in: Main Dish, Pork