Country-style ribs aren’t something I think of cooking that often. When I do, they usually end up on a bed of sauerkraut. That’s why I was excited to see this idea for spicy sweet-and-sour grilled country-style ribs in a recent edition of Chile Pepper magazine. I knew that the ribs would be great because everything I’ve made from the magazine has been. And I knew that they’d have some kick. And they do.
The sauce on the ribs is the star of the show. I definitely plan on using the sauce on other dishes. It’d be perfect on grilled pork tenderloin, burgers, and pork spare ribs. The ribs are tasty, and really good grilled for a nice char then cooked low-and-slow to perfect tenderness.
I wouldn’t hesitate to make these spicy sweet-and-sour grilled country-style ribs again, and I’ll definitely be using both the Asian rub and fantastic sauce on other cuts of meat.
Also try my slow cooker Vietnamese ribs.
Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Country-Style Ribs
Ingredients
For the Asian rub (makes 1 cup, you’ll need 1/2 cup or so for the ribs)
- 1/4 cup onion powder
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons dried red pepper flakes
For the ribs
- 3 pounds country-style ribs
- 1/2 cup Asian rub from above
For the sauce
- 1 hot pepper minced
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
For the Asian rub
- Combine all ingredients. Store leftover rub in an air-right container.
For the ribs
- Sprinkle the ribs with the rub and rub into the meat. Don’t be shy with the rub and make sure to get all sides or the ribs.
- Let ribs rest at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 275 F and fire up your grill for direct cooking.
- Grill ribs 10-12 minutes over direct heat, turning once, to get lightly charred. You’re just looking for color here, the ribs will finish cooking in the oven. Over-grilling them will result in tough ribs.
- Transfer ribs to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until done.
- Serve drizzled with sauce.
For the sauce
- Place all ingredients into a blender and puree.
- Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and warm through.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.