Another gem from the Williams Sonoma Complete Entertaining Cookbook that was a supper club hit. Cherie and I love the smokey, earthy flavor of chipotle and the extra hit of heat really makes the barbecue sauce.
INGREDIENTS
Chipotle Spice Paste
4 chipotle chiles, packed in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp sweet Spanish paprika
1 ½ tbsp ground cumin
1 ½ tbsp dried oregano
1 ½ tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cloves
Coarse salt
3 slabs baby back port ribs, about 6 lb total weight
1 cup store-bought mild barbecue sauce
PREPARATION
Spice Paste
- Combine all spice rub ingredients plus 2 teaspoons of the barbecue sauce in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth paste forms.
- Brush the paste over the ribs, coating them evenly on both sides. The ribs can be cooked now, or, for more intense flavor, cover them loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerator overnight.
Prepare the ribs
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. If the ribs have been refrigerator, remove them from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking.
- Place the ribs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, overlapping them slightly if needed. Roast, turning occasionally, until tender, about 2 hours. (The ribs can be prepared up to this point a day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring the ribs to room temperature before continuing.)
- Prepare a charcoal or gar grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack and position it about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Brush the ribs with ½ cup of the barbecue sauce.
- Grill the ribs, turning once, until heated through, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the slabs to a cutting board and cut into 1-rib portions.
- Arrange the ribs on a platter, brush with the remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce, and serve at once.
