Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: It'll Stick to Your Ribs

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (64)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(64)

Cook Time:
3 hr 0 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 servings and 5 cups sauce

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: 8 hr 30 min
Cook: 3 hr 0 min
Total:: 12 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

2 racks baby back pork ribs, about 4 pounds, each cut in half
2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows or favorite rib rub
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark brown ale (recommended: Abita Turbo Dog)
4 cups ketchup
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup pure cane syrup (recommended: Steen's 100 percent) or molasses
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Creole or other spicy whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon or other hot pepper sauce (recommended: Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Smashed Potato Salad, recipe follows
Sliced fresh tomatoes, accompaniment

Directions

Rub the ribs on both sides with Essence or rib rub. Place in a large sealable bag or on a large sheet of aluminum foil placed in a large roasting pan. Cover with the beer and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the ribs from the bag and bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with heavy aluminum foil, lay the ribs on top, and tightly cover with foil. Roast for 2 hours.

Preheat the grill.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the ketchup, onions, cane syrup, red wine, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, jalapenos, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, salt, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.

Stir to mix well. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Remove the ribs from the oven and uncover.

Transfer to the hot grill, cover, and cook over indirect heat for 30 minutes. Brush the ribs with the sauce, and baste and turn every 10 minutes, for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from the grill. Serve with the potato salad and sliced tomatoes, and pass additional sauce on the side.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Smashed Potato Salad:

2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup minced yellow onions
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise or store bought mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, place the potatoes with enough cold water to cover and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes with a hand-held masher or a heavy fork. (They should still be very lumpy.) Mix in the onions, eggs, and garlic. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, the mustard, lemon juice, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Season with the pepper sauce, Worcestershire, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.

Serve warm or chilled.

Yield: 4 servings

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
Laura Kailua, HI 08-12-2009
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Moist and delicious minus the sauce
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I have been making this recipe for over a year now. I love the rib recipe but not the sauce. The ribs are tender and... flavorful and so, so moist. I admit I am originally from Eastern NC and may have a slight prejudice against tomato sauces but this sauce is slightly glorified Ketchup! Having said that, my son and husband love it. I now make some with the Ketchup and then just use a more vinegar based sauce for mine. We are all happy then. I have used all kinds of beer. Whatever was in the fridge worked and I can't tell the difference. Now what kind of wine goes with ribs?Read more
recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
Judy Sherman Oaks, CA 07-22-2009
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Emeril Rocks!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this recipe for a few friends. I got the back ribs at Costco so I had more than I though I would ever need (thinking... I'd have leftovers for a week!) Guess what? Not a morsel left. Everybody loved them. One of the guests made them for her husband twice this week...he's hooked. I used the Emeril's ready made rub which was just fine. (Makes the prep go alot faster) The technique is what I think made them sooo good. The rub, the marinade overnight and the slow cooking seemed to really produce a rich flavor and a tender rib! I have never had a disapointment with Emeril's recipes. IKudos!Read more
recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
Mary blacklick, OH 06-06-2009
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Have you tried this potao salad?"?!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have used Grandma's potato salad forever, and it has always been the best ....HOWEVERRRR OMG I tried this recipe just for... the heck of it and had to take it a b-day party....EVERYONE AND I MEAN EVERYONE said it was better than their owm mothers!!!! EMERIL you're awesome!!!!!!!!Read more
recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
Matt Fishers, IN 06-04-2009
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Off Flavors
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

First, I made this per recipe (double checked it even), other than I couldn't find the exact rec beer. The Ribs were tender,... but low and slow makes that easy enough. My first issue was the essence rub. While this may be a great standard spice mix for other items, it def didn't work for me on ribs. The thyme and oregano just didn't work in the mix, pulling the taste away from a rib flavor. Next, I know many on here have raved on the sauce. And I agree the mix of the sweet with some hot coming in after was ok, but I couldn't get past the predominant ketchup flavor in the base. I got a polite 'good' rating from the group, nothing I could recommend again.Read more
recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
Rachel Athens, GA 03-26-2009
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Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Homemade BBQ sauce was super fun to make. My husband also loved the smashed potato salad and he was convinced that he did... not like potato salad. Have made three times and wouldn't change a thing!Read more
recipe Emeril's Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce and Smashed Potato Salad
null null, null 09-30-2008
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AWESOME!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was my first attempt at making baby back ribs, because I don't particularly care for them myself. I tried this recipe... out as a special meal for my kids. Well, I'm a convert! I have never tasted a BBQ sauce as delicious as this one, and the ribs were just falling off the bone. Better than excellent. I also made the potato salad. I have been making my special recipe potato salad for many years with many compliments. After tasting this, I will never make it again. My kids loved it so much, they wanted me to make another batch the following weekend and invite their friends over. Emeril is the master!Read more