Tender triple-maple barbecue ribs — in the oven!

This week, we packed up our kitchen and moved it from Bangor to Portland. We’re still digging ourselves out from under the boxes (and trying to figure out how to fit all my frequently-used kitchen items into my tiny new kitchen) but while I was in the midst of tying up loose ends and packing everything up for transport, I found the time to make one final maple recipe, and I knew I wanted to make it a good one.

You may think, like I used to, that unless you have a grill or smoker in your arsenal, you can’t make tender, smoky barbecued ribs at home. I have great news for apartment dwellers like myself, and anyone else unwilling or unable to invest the money or space in a grill or smoker: if you have an oven in your home, you can make it happen.

Maine isn’t known for its abundance of great barbecue, but in the spirit of my month-long ongoing celebration of Maine Maple Sunday, I decided to make maple ribs — and I included Maine maple in every step along the way. This may be a time-consuming process, but the result is worth it. Flavorful, tender, moist and messy, like all good barbecue should be.

triplemapleribs

Triple-Maple Barbecue Ribs

  • 3 pounds St. Louis or baby back ribs
  • 1/4 cup Raye’s Spring Maple Mustard (or 1/4 cup dijon mustard, mixed with 2 tablespoons maple sugar)
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 1 recipe maple dry rub (recipe below)
  • 1 recipe maple barbecue sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place a wire rack on top of the foil. Combine maple mustard with liquid smoke and rub ribs liberally with the mixture. Pat ribs with dry rub on both sides. (These steps can be done a day in advance for deeper flavor.) Place on rack and cover with more foil; roast 2 1/2 to 3 hours and remove from oven. Remove foil and coat ribs liberally with maple barbecue sauce. Place back in oven for 30-45 minutes, and serve.

Maple Dry Rub

  • 1/2 cup maple sugar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1 teaspoon roasted ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients with a fork.

Maple Barbecue Sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha (or other hot sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon roasted ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. (You may want to make a double recipe if you like to dip your ribs, and this would also be excellent on chicken.)

For more recipes from my kitchen to yours, please visit http://www.forkable.net.

Fia Fortune

About Fia Fortune

Fia Fortune is a home cook who enjoys gardening, creating recipes for her two blogs, cooking for herself and her boyfriend, and trying to keep up with their blended family of four cats.