Yeh, it’s after Labor Day, but the weather is still FINE, and perfect for tossing some ribs on the grill. In this case, I chose to use boneless beef short ribs and boneless country-style pork ribs with a cherry cola barbecue sauce.
Both worked a treat, but each needed a little special attention – the beef a night to rest in a bourbon marinade, and the pork a bit of slow roasting with a spice rub and sweet onion slices – before coming to the grill and being swathed in this tasty, tasty sauce.
INGREDIENTS
Beef Ribs:
•Boneless beef short ribs
•1/2 cup soy sauce
•1/2 cup bourbon
•1/4 cup veggie oil
•1/4 cup water
•1 tbsp Dijon mustard
•1 tsp black pepper
Pork Ribs:
•Boneless country-style ribs
•Sweet onion, sliced
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1 tsp seasoned salt
•1 tsp black pepper
Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce:
•1 cup barbecue sauce
•1 can (12 oz) cherry cola
•1/4 cup cherry preserves
•1 tsp ground mustard
•2 tsp Earl’s – or your preferred hot sauce
First, whisk the soy sauce, bourbon, oil, water, and mustard together and pour over the beef short ribs in a zipper bag. Stash ’em on a rimmed plate in the fridge overnight, flipping the bag when you think of it.
Second, make the cherry cola sauce by combining the ingredients together in a medium sauce pan over moderate heat.
Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or so (stirring often) until the sauce is nicely reduced. Set aside to cool.
About an hour before you’re ready to begin grilling, heat your oven to 350°, bring the beef ribs out of the fridge, remove from (and discard) the marinade, and allow to come up to room temperature.
Arrange the pork ribs in a single layer in a foil-lined baking pan and season all sides well. Top with the sliced sweet onion, fold the foil up and over the ribs, leaving room for steam to build up, and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, discard any cooking liquid in the pan, then arrange with the beef ribs on a platter and prepare your grill.
Grill over direct, medium heat, brushing both often with the cherry cola sauce, for ten to 15 minutes, or until the beef is done to your liking and both are nicely glazed and crisped.
Note: we usually go a bit light on the sauce during grilling, preferring to use mebbe a third for cooking and offering the rest to pass at the table. Folk seem to like that option, but you do what you like.
We had ours with roasted asparagus with Parmesan, a new take on oven roasted potatoes, and some freshly toasted garlic bread.
It made for a fine dinner, if I do say so myself, try it for your next gathering and see if you don’t agree!
Oh, and those roasted potatoes? Well, you’ll need a little sumpin’ sumpin’ from The Spice House, and details; coming Monday…