Finally, the piece de la resistance of the cookout. Four racks of beautifully grilled pork ribs. I have to thank Michael Symon for this recipe. I’m a huge fan of ABC’s the Chew. http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew. I try to watch every episode, and I’ve actually learned a lot about cooking and entertaining from the cast.
After mastering the slow cooker ribs, I thought it was time to try out grilled ribs. And who better to guide me through it than the grillmaster himself? I tried to follow Michael’s recipe exactly (although I did make one minor change due to lack of a certain spice), and I’m glad I did because these ribs were a hit. I know it’s sacrilege in some parts of the country to eat ribs not smothered in barbecue sauce, but these ribs are good enough to eat without barbecue sauce. Of course, there’s no harm in adding a little sauce either…!
There’s quite a lot of ingredients that go into the ribs, but most of them I found already in my pantry and the ribs were “buy 1, get 1 free” at the grocery store so it was actually a cheap and easy dish to make.
HEALTHY COOKOUT ECSTASY? Definitely! I’m used to cookouts full of chips, dips, cookies and just insane amounts of food. I always leave the cookout feeling absolutely disgusting. This menu was the perfect anecdote. Each dish was flavorful and delicious while at the same time being healthy and providing a good balance to the meal. Everyone’s tummies were happy – especially mine! Oh, and if you’re wondering where the dessert recipe is, my mom brought a key lime pie from Costco. I promise to make some healthy desserts soon!
- RIBS:
- 3 tablespoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1.5 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder (Michael’s recipe called for 2 tablespoons smoked paprika but I didn’t have any so I used a mixture of the chili powder and Hungarian paprika)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4-6 racks pork spare ribs
- 2 lemons, juiced
- GLAZE:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup red onion, minced
- 3 lemons
- 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- RIBS:
- Mix together the dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, coriander, pepper and kosher salt. Moisten the ribs with lemon juice and then coat all sides with the rub, making sure to distribute evenly.
- Set up your grill or smoker for indirect heat, meaning the ribs will not be directly over the heat source.
- Using low heat and apple-wood chips, put the ribs on the cool part of the grill, cover, and smoke for 1 hour. **I didn’t have apple-wood chips or a high-tech way to control the heat source (our grill is very old!) so we moved the coals to the edges of the grill bottom and put the ribs in the middle to try to keep the heat source low.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients, reserving the lemons. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
- TO ASSEMBLE:
- Arrange 2 of the racks on a large piece of foil, overlapping them like roof shingles. Add the fresh oregano and pour one-third of the glaze on top of the ribs and seal tightly in the foil, being careful not to tear it. Wrap in a second sheet of foil. Repeat twice, using the remaining racks and glaze, reserving some glaze for brushing.
- Return ribs to the grill and cook meat-side-down for 30 minutes over low heat. Flip the foil bundles and continue cooking for 30 minutes. **Because our grill cooked fast, I cut this time in half. If you’re able to control your grill heat then I’d stay true to the recipe. Once done, remove the ribs from the grill and let rest in the foil for 30 minutes.
- Garnish with lemons, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil.
I cannot wait to make this! Thanks for sharing, always looking for good rib recipes
You’re welcome! Let me know how they turn out. And thanks for stopping by. 🙂