Recipe courtesy of Vallery Lomas
Blueberry-Cherry BBQ Baby Back Ribs
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 669
- Total Fat
- 40
- Saturated Fat
- 13
- Carbohydrates
- 35
- Dietary Fiber
- 3
- Sugar
- 30
- Protein
- 45
- Cholesterol
- 157
- Sodium
- 874
- Total: 3 hr
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Ribs:
Two 2-pound racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds total)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Blueberry-Cherry BBQ Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (seed the chile if you prefer a mild sauce)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
Directions
- For the ribs: Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Peel the thin membrane off of the back side of the ribs and discard.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, coriander, paprika, mustard, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle evenly all over both sides of the ribs. Wrap each rack of ribs in a separate piece of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- For the blueberry-cherry BBQ sauce: Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coriander and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the cherries, blueberries, chicken broth, cider vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle chile and adobo sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer, mashing the cherries and blueberries with a potato masher halfway through to release their juices, until the fruit is softened and the mixture is saucelike, about 15 minutes.
- Let the sauce cool briefly. Then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth (see Cook's Note). Return to the saucepan and stir in the Dijon. The sauce should nicely coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is too thin, bring it back to a simmer and continue to reduce until the correct consistency. Reserve 1 cup in a bowl for glazing. Set aside the remainder in the saucepan and cover to keep warm.
- Once the ribs have baked 1 1/2 hours, carefully place each rack on its own baking sheet. Unwrap the ribs from the foil, keeping the foil on the baking sheet as a liner of sorts. Brush the ribs with the reserved 1 cup BBQ sauce and bake until nicely browned and tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, basting once more with sauce halfway through, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler. Brush another layer of sauce on each rack of ribs and place one of the racks under the broiler until the sauce is caramelized and lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes (be sure to watch as all broilers vary!). Repeat with the second rack of ribs.
- Transfer the reserved sauce from the saucepan to small bowls. Slice into individual ribs and serve with the sauce for dipping.