Barbecued Ribs

See this face?

That excited smile! That extended belly! That drool! That happens to be the exact same face my husband makes when you start talking about barbecued ribs.

And then this face.

This is what my hubby does when he sees a rack of ribs marinating in the fridge, tongue sticking out and lips smacking in anticipation.

Yes, this child is his father's son, no doubt about it.

Barbecued ribs is an event around here. Frankly, any meat that comes from a store is an event, but barbecued ribs is right up there with electric toothbrushes and Sunday afternoons in bed as one of my dearest's absolutely most favorite things.

We start days in advance, buying the ribs from the local butcher and baking the seasoned ribs for a couple hours on low heat. Then in the fridge they go to marinade in homemade bbq sauce for a couple days. Finally, they get finished off on the grill.

And the end result?

*burp*

Barbecued Ribs

Adapted from Recipes by Susan Spungen

1 or 2 racks baby back ribs

Salt and pepper

1 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

Place ribs on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Season ribs with salt and pepper and bake at 275 degrees for 2 hours. Let cool.

Prepare BBQ sauce by heating oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic until just beginning to brown, then whisk in coffee, vinegar, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, continuing to simmer until thickened (about 30 minutes). Set aside.

When ribs are cool, place in large Ziploc bag and cover with BBQ sauce. Marinade for 1 or 2 days in the fridge.

Heat grill to medium low. Place ribs on the grill, turning and basting about every 5 minutes, cooking until heated through and glazed, about 30 minutes. (Can also be finished in a 450 degree oven on a foil-lined baking sheet for 30 minutes, turning frequently.)