I call these my Whiskey BBQ Ribs, tender, fall off the bone pork ribs slathered with a homemade whiskey BBQ sauce.
I was inspired to create this recipe after visiting Nashville a few years back, I was at a BBQ restaurant and they had the BEST barbecue sauce, fortunately they were kind enough to share with me that they used molasses as their secret ingredient. From that point forward every barbecue sauce I made just had to have molasses!
For the barbecue sauce, in addition to the molasses which gives it an amazing depth of flavor, I also use a little whiskey which adds a great caramelized note to the sauce. I love to use local whiskey whenever possible and my favorite in the Seattle area is Woodinville Whiskey. You can’t really taste the whiskey, it’s not overly boozey and the alcohol isn’t prominent at all, but it has of those rich flavors that whiskey brings to it.
Great Ribs = BBQ Sauce + the Rub
The BBQ sauce as I mentioned is super important to getting great tasting ribs, but In this recipe I have a homemade rub with paprika which adds smokiness, sugar for a little sweetness and chili powder and black pepper for just the right hint of spice. This rub is really easy as most people have all of the ingredients in their pantry so it’s a quick pull together.
The key to baking tender, fall off the bone ribs
We are baking the ribs in this recipe at low heat 300 degrees for about 3 hours, and we are actually kind of steaming the ribs in this recipe by wrapping the ribs in foil and not allowing the moisture to escape. This keeps the ribs really moist and you don’t have to worry about overcooking them or the ribs not being tender. Afterall, when we’re talking about ribs the motto is “low and slow” to get that fork tender, fall-off-the-bone kind of texture that is the hallmark of BBQ ribs!
After the ribs have been in the oven for about 2.5 hours, slather them up with the BBQ sauce that you made and then pop them back in the oven or throw them on your outdoor BBQ uncovered for another 20-30 minutes. This will caramelize the BBQ sauce and will really bring out the flavors!
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Whiskey BBQ Ribs
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 5 lbs (2 large racks) Baby back ribs
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 300.
- Cut 4 sheets of foil 6 inches longer than the length of your ribs. Lay 2 sheets on top of each other and place on a sheet pan, lay the other 2 sheets the opposite way to form a cross. Place the ribs on the foil.
- In a small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and sprinkle over both sides of the ribs.
- Fold the foil over the ribs to make a sealed package. Bake the ribs for 2 ½ – 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the whiskey BBQ sauce.
- Once the ribs are fork tender, remove them from the oven and slather with BBQ sauce, place them back in the oven on broil, uncovered for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, cut and serve with remaining BBQ sauce.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 180
- Category: Dinner
- Method: BBQ
- Cuisine: American
Whiskey BBQ Sauce
- Total Time: 10
Description
This is the recipe for the Whiskey BBQ Sauce to lather all over the ribs!
Ingredients
- ¼ of a medium sweet onion, chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 24 oz bottle or 2 ¼ cups ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 Tablespoons whiskey (such as Woodinville Whiskey)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until incorporated.
- Pour into a medium pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10