Summer officially began at 1:45 EDT Sunday morning, ushering in a season of blissfully long days filled with backyard barbecues, lakeside picnics, and impromptu beach parties.  It’s the time of year we’re most likely to surround ourselves with family and friends yet least likely to feel like hanging out in the kitchen all day preparing food for them.  Fortunately, most modern-day beaches and lakesides are equipped with grills, so if you toss a couple racks of ribs and a jar of Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce into your cooler, you’ll be able to host a summer get-together just about anywhere.

These ribs couldn’t be more simple:  you set them on a grill over indirect heat, then go swim or read or chat with friends for 2 hours before returning to slather them with the zesty, tangy sweetness of maple and tomatoes and spices.  After another half hour on the grill, the meat will have grown tender enough to release its grip on the bone and the sauce will have caramelized slightly, creating a sticky, smoky delicious mess of summertime perfection.

As tasty as the Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce is on pork, its flavors meld even more beautifully with beans.  And since no summer gathering is complete without baked beans, you might want to set aside an hour to make these maple barbecue beans. Now, an hour in the kitchen at the height of summer may seem excessive, but that’s only because you haven’t tasted these beans.  The pot I made was gobbled up so quickly I barely had a chance to snap a photo.  It’s worth trading an hour of beach time for the hour of kitchen time it will take you to cook these savory beans down and tuck them into your cooler to be reheated and served alongside the maple barbecue ribs.

Of course, there are as many ways to make ribs as there are days in the summer (93, to be exact).  If you prefer a more complex preparation and don’t mind a little extra work, these spice-rubbed ribs with an apricot glaze are an equally delectable and equally messy alternative to ribs with the more traditional tomato-based sauce. The rub gives the meat a spiciness and subtle heat that’s tempered by the sweetness of the apricot glaze, and the same slow and low grilling method yields the same falling-off-the-bone tenderness, resulting in perfectly succulent ribs that are simultaneously both spicy and sweet.

Best of all, each of these recipes produces a dish that’s considerably yummier than the amount of effort and attention it requires, leaving you free to fill your long summer days with family and friends, picnics and barbecues, swimming and sunshine, and all sorts of summertime fun.

Maple BBQ Ribs
(serves 4)
printable recipe

2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4.5 lbs)
1 Jar American Spoon® Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce Add to Cart
salt & pepper

to grill over charcoal:

1) Start your charcoal in the usual manner.  When the charcoal is ready, separate it into two large piles on either side of the grill. 

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper and brush with about half of the Maple BBQ Sauce. Place the ribs in the center of the grill and grill, turning once, for about 2 hours.

4)  Brush the ribs generously with the remaining Maple BBQ Sauce and grill for 30 more minutes or until the sauce is caramelized. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired portions. Serve.

Ribs can be grilled in advance, refrigerated (for up to 24 hours) then finished, beginning with the last step.

to grill over gas:

1) Light the burners leaving an empty space:  if you have two burners, light one but not the other; if you have three burners, light the outer two but leave the middle burner unlit.

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper and brush with about half of the Maple BBQ Sauce. Place the ribs over the unlit portion of the grill and grill, turning once, for about 2 hours.

4)  Brush the ribs generously with the remaining Maple BBQ Sauce and grill for 30 more minutes or until the sauce is caramelized. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired portions. Serve.

Ribs can be grilled in advance, refrigerated (for up to 24 hours) then finished, beginning with the last step.

to roast:

1) Preheat oven to 325° F.

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. Brush the ribs with about half of the Maple BBQ Sauce.

4) Place the ribs in a large roasting pan (cut the racks in half if necessary). Add ½ cup of water to the pan and cover tightly with foil or a lid. Roast for 2½ hours or until meat is tender.

5) Remove the ribs from the oven and turn oven up to 500°F.

6) Place ribs in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Brush the ribs generously with the remaining Maple BBQ Sauce.

7) Return to the 500°F oven and roast for 10 minutes or until the sauce is caramelized. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired portions. Serve.

Ribs can be roasted in advance, refrigerated (for up to 24 hours) then finished, beginning with the last step in the procedures, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for ribs to fully heat through.

Maple BBQ Beans
(serves 6)
printable recipe 

4 Slices bacon (thick sliced), diced
1/4 cup Onion, diced small
1 Jar American Spoon® Maple BBQ Grilling Sauce Add to Cart
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans (rinsed & drained)

1) Sauté diced bacon in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until the bacon begins to brown. Add diced onion; continue to cook over low heat until onion is transparent and tender.

2) Drain the excess bacon fat from the pan. Add Maple BBQ Sauce.

3) Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the drained beans and continue to cook over low heat for an additional 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let rest for 30 minutes.

4) Stir, transfer to serving dish and serve room temperature.

Beans can be made ahead, refrigerated, then reheated over low heat just before serving.

Spice Grilled Ribs with Apricot Glaze
(serves 4)
printable recipe

1 tsp caraway seed
2 Tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1 jar American Spoon® Apricot Preserves Add to Cart

for the rub:

in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the caraway seeds to a coarse powder. Add the smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture to a small saucepan and set aside. 

to grill over charcoal:

1) Start your charcoal in the usual manner.  When the charcoal is ready, separate it into two large piles on either side of the grill. 

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with the remaining spice mixture. Place the ribs in the center of the grill and grill, turning once, for about 2 hours.

4) Meanwhile, heat the saucepan with the 2 tablespoons spice mixture over low heat for about 3 minutes, roasting the spices. Add 1/2 cup of water to the saucepan with roasted spices. Stir to mix well. Add the jar of American Spoon® Apricot Preserves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and reduce to a thick barbeque sauce/glaze consistency (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.

5) Brush the ribs generously with the apricot glaze and grill for 30 more minutes or until the sauce is caramelized. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired portions. Serve.

The ribs and glaze can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before finishing. To finish, begin with step 5, and heat the glaze for easy brushing application.

to grill over gas:

1) Light the burners leaving an empty space:  if you have two burners, light one but not the other; if you have three burners, light the outer two but leave the middle burner unlit.

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with the remaining spice mixture.  Place the ribs over the unlit portion of the grill and grill, turning once, for about 2 hours.

4) Meanwhile, heat the saucepan with the 2 tablespoons spice mixture over low heat for about 3 minutes, roasting the spices. Add 1/2 cup of water to the saucepan with roasted spices. Stir to mix well. Add the jar of American Spoon® Apricot Preserves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and reduce to a thick barbeque sauce/glaze consistency (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.

5) Brush the ribs generously with the apricot glaze and grill for 30 more minutes or until the sauce is caramelized. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired portions. Serve.

The ribs and glaze can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before finishing. To finish, begin with step 5, and heat the glaze for easy brushing application.

to roast:

1) Preheat oven to 325°F.

2) Using a kitchen towel, grasp and pull the papery membrane from the underside of each rack of ribs.

3) Rub both sides of the ribs with the remaining spice mixture. Place the spiced ribs in a large roasting pan (cut the racks in half if necessary). Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover tightly with foil or lid. Roast for 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

4) Heat the saucepan with the 2 tablespoons spice mixture over low heat for about 3 minutes, roasting the spices. Add the liquid from the roasting pan to the saucepan with roasted spices. Stir to mix well. Add the jar of American Spoon® Apricot Preserves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and reduce to a thick barbeque sauce / glaze consistency (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.

5) Turn the oven up to 500°F. Arrange the rib racks concave side up and brush them with half of the apricot glaze. Add 1/2 cup water and place the pan into the 500°F oven and roast for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, turn the racks over and brush with the remaining apriot glaze. Return to the oven and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the glaze is caramelized. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut into desired portions.

The ribs and glaze can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before finishing. To finish, begin with step 5, and heat the glaze for easy brushing application.

Tags: american spoon, apricot preserves, baby back ribs, baked beans, barbecued ribs, grilling, maple BBQ grilling sauce, Recipe, summer

This entry was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Recipes & Suggestions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.