Grocery Basket
olive oil, shallots, garlic, rosemary, plums, ketchup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Sambal, orange, pork spareribs
Method
Grill
Category
Barbecue, Latest Recipes, Main Event
Cook Time
225 minutes
It goes without saying for many of us that ribs are a must-have at every tailgate, barbecue, homegate, or backyard cookout. So when it came time to develop a recipe of choice for our annual pilgrimage to the Pocono Raceway for the Gander RV 400 and the Pocono Fan Fest a few years back, this delicious dish was born.
We get spoiled during the summertime because there are so many fruits in season, including all our favorite berries and our go-to stone fruits. We try to make as much as we can during their short in-season lifespan, so we worked some fresh plums from the farmer’s market into the sweet, tasty sauce for this dish. Another thing we love about this recipe is that it’s perfect for starting at home (cooking your ribs low & slow) and then finishing on-site (or in the infield, if you’re us).
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1–2 small shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried rosemary or a few fresh sprigs
10 ripe plums, diced
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sambal, Sriracha, or other hot sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
2 racks of St. Louis style pork spareribs
BBQ Sauce
Ribs
Directions
To Make BBQ Sauce
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Then add in the shallots, garlic, rosemary, and plums and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rosemary becomes fragrant, (about 2–3 minutes). Remove the rosemary*.
Add into the saucepan the ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. The plums should release plenty of liquid. If they don’t, you can add a few tablespoons of water to thin the sauce.
Remove the saucepan from heat and add in balsamic vinegar and hot sauce. Stir until well incorporated*.
If using orange zest, add it now. Zest will brighten the flavors and is a nice addition to summertime dishes.
Optional: If the plums did not fully break down, you can transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender, once the mixture has cooled, and purée until smooth. We like our sauce a little chunky, so we skip this step.
To Make Ribs
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a high-edged baking sheet with foil.
Pour water into the bottom of the foil (about ¼-inch deep) and top with the spareribs. Sprinkle the tops of the ribs with a healthy dash of salt, pepper, and garlic. Seal the ribs in foil (you want them fully wrapped).
Cook the ribs in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven, slather with some sauce, add more water if necessary, and reseal the ribs in foil. Return to the oven for another 90 minutes.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Slather the ribs (now removed from the oven for the second time) with more sauce. Grill for 8–10 minutes per side and then serve with any leftover sauce!
Recipe Note
Pro Tip 1:
If you’re not using fresh rosemary sprigs, place the dried rosemary in a cheesecloth or tea steeper to allow for easy removal.
Pro Tip 2:
Depending on the sweetness of the plums and desired spiciness of the sauce, extra vinegar can be added to reduce the sweetness and hot sauce can be altered to address spice.