Melissa Cookston's World Championship Baby Back Ribs

Melissa Crookston has cemented her place as, not only a great southern delta chef, but also as one of the preeminent pitmasters in the world. Four-time whole hog world champion, two-time world grand champion,the winner of the inaugural Kingsford Invitational, and literally thousands of other trophies have proven her to be the winningest woman in barbecue.

This is one of her recipes that allowed her to win the World Championship in Memphis, twice. Also in this recipe you make everything from scratch including the rub and the sauce This is also a great recipe if you like Memphis Style Ribs.

Ingredients

Basic BBQ Rub:

• 1 cup turbinado sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons ground mustard

• 4 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 6 tablespoons Spanish paprika

BBQ Mother Sauce:

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 3/4 cup finely diced sweet or yellow onion

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1/4 cup white vinegar

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons dry mustard

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ribs:

• 6 slabs baby back ribs, about 3 pounds each

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

• 6 tablespoons honey

• 1 cup turbinado sugar

• 1 cup purple grape juice

• 1 teaspoon dry chipotle powder

Preparation

For the basic BBQ rub: Using a coffee grinder, grind the turbinado sugar with a few "pulses" until it is lightly powdered. Combine with the granulated sugar, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, black pepper, mustard, chili powder, cumin and paprika in a bowl and hand stir until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.

For the BBQ mother sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat on low. As the onion is getting close, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add the ketchup, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, dry mustard, cayenne and black pepper and stir well.

Slowly add up to 1/2 cup water until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. A slightly thick consistency is best. Add about 3 tablespoons of the basic BBQ rub, stir well and taste. The sauce should have a good, well-rounded flavor. Add more of the basic BBQ rub in 1-tablespoon increments until your desired flavor is achieved, up to about 1/2 cup total. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

For the ribs: Rinse the ribs and remove the membrane from the back. Trim any excess fat from the tops of the slabs. Trim 1 bone from the large end of the ribs and 2 bones from the small end. This will give you a much more consistent slab for cooking.

Starting on the backs, sprinkle the slabs of ribs with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of the basic BBQ rub each, then add 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard each and massage into the meat. Flip the ribs over and repeat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. For a contest, I marinate ribs like this for 12 to 16 hours.

Prepare a smoker to run at 225F using apple wood and cherry. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, unwrap and repeat the basic BBQ rub and mustard procedure. Place the ribs in the smoker meat-side up and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and increase the temperature to 250F. Apply the basic BBQ rub and mustard to both sides of the ribs as before.

On the top sides, slather approximately 1 tablespoon of honey over the surface of each slab, then sprinkle heavily with the turbinado sugar. Lay each slab of ribs meat-side up on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold up the edges. Pour 1 to 2 ounces of the grape juice into the bottom of each foil package, do not crimp foil to let steam out.

Return the ribs to the cooker for 2 hours, then test for tenderness. If they still have too much texture, leave them in for 20 to 30 more minutes. Remove the ribs from the cooker, open the foil and drain off the liquid. Using the foil as a tool, "roll" the ribs over so the bone side is up, glaze with the BBQ mother sauce.

Place them back in the smoker for 15 minutes. This will let the glaze cook onto the ribs and let the ribs tighten back up. Remove from the cooker and allow to rest for 5 minutes, apply a very thin coat of sauce to "glisten" the ribs, then lightly sprinkle with chipotle powder before serving.

Source: Learn to BBQ

bon appetit