Grilled Pork Ribs with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Homemade rhubarb bbq sauce and a simple spice rub will make these grilled pork ribs the hit of your next barbecue, and they’re easier than you might think to make. Makes 16 servings (can be cut in half).
Why you’ll love this bbq pork ribs recipe
Marc and I had the opportunity to experience Green Bay’s Gold Ribbin’ BBQ Fest last weekend, and I can’t even begin to tell you how inspired I was by the dedication of the pit masters and insanely good food we sampled. There was great food all around us. And, the smell. I was in barbecue heaven. I also had flashbacks of waitressing at a barbecue restaurant when we lived in Texas. I seriously love the smell of it.
After listening to all the barbecue experts talk about how easy pork is to grill, I came home ready to conquer my fear of grilled pork ribs. Seriously, a few of them even said, “As long as you don’t overcook it, you can’t mess pork up.”
Did you know the recommended cooking temperature for fresh pork is between 145˚ – 160˚F? I try to stick with 145˚F unless I’m cooking ground pork. When cooking ground pork, I cook to an internal temperature of 160˚F. Since ribs cook for a really long time at a low temperature, they’ll reach a fully cooked temperature long before they’re done. No need to worry about temperature, just cook them until they’re tender.
These ribs turned out so well, that I might even join in fun and enter this recipe into the competition next year. The rhubarb bbq sauce pairs so well with the pork ribs. It’s all about the sweetness, and that was something I noticed at the event. The sweetness balances with the spices to make the meat taste unbelievably good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
If you like this recipe, you have to try these Dr. pepper ribs, and this pulled pork sandwiches and these bbq meatloaf.
Searching for more pork recipes? Italian porchetta roast / Glazed pork chops / Pork osso buco / Rigatoni with pork ragu
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Baby back pork ribs – Baby back ribs are tender and cook well with both low-and-slow baking and a quick finish on the grill. They’re also smaller and more manageable than other cuts like spare ribs. If you can’t find extra meaty ones, regular baby back ribs will still work great. Just keep an eye on cooking time since they might finish a bit quicker.
- Rhubarb – If you can’t find fresh rhubarb, frozen rhubarb can be a good alternative, but make sure to thaw and drain it well before using. Be sure to remove the leaves, they are toxic to humans and animals.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this grilled pork ribs recipe
Prep the ribs. Preheat your oven to 250˚F. Start by seasoning the ribs with your favorite BBQ dry rub, or use a store-bought option if preferred, since the rhubarb BBQ sauce will provide most of the flavor. If you don’t feel like making your own dry rub, you can definitely use store bought. The rhubarb bbq sauce will be doing most of the flavor work here anyway.
Roast the ribs in the oven. Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Generously slather the dry rub on both sides of the ribs—two racks work well for this recipe. Place the seasoned ribs in a roasting pan and bake them for 4 hours, allowing them to become tender.
Make the rhubarb bbq sauce. Combine rhubarb in a saucepan with brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb breaks down and the sauce thickens. If you prefer the sauce to be extra smooth, you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender after it cools slightly – otherwise transfer to a mason jar or serving bowl and set aside.
Grill the ribs. Once the ribs are done baking, transfer them to a hot grill and cook for about 15 minutes. This step adds a smoky char that significantly enhances the flavor. I know it may seem a bit unnecessary, especially to anyone who hasn’t cooked ribs, but trust me. You want that smoky, charr, and only the grill can give that to you. It adds so much to the flavor.
Serve. Slather additional barbeque sauce over the charred ribs and serve. You can store any leftover bbq sauce in a mason jar or other airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
More grilling recipes you will love: sweet chili chicken skewers / coffee rubbed steak / cilantro lime chicken / smoked meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- Pinch of coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup BBQ dry rub
- 2 slabs extra meaty baby back pork ribs
Instructions
For the sauce:
- In a large skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil to medium-high. Sauté rhubarb, onion and pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and rhubarb has softened – about 10 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before pureeing with a food processor or blender (I used my immersion blender and the cup it came with).
- Transfer sauce to an airtight container and keep for up to 1 week.
For the ribs:
- Preheat oven to 250˚F.
- Cut slabs in half to make grilling easier (optional). Pat ribs dry with paper towels and cover with dry rub. Bake ribs for 3 – 4 hours.
- When ready, preheat grill to high. Grill ribs, meat side up for 5 minutes, basting with sauce at least once.
- Flip ribs and grill for an addition 5 – 10 minutes, basting as desired before removing from grill. Baste one more time before serving ribs with any remaining sauce.
The whole family loved this BBQ sauce!!! Has anyone tried to add some vinegar in order to can this recipe? How much? Thanks!!