Southwest Ribs Recipes

EASY FALL OFF THE BONE OVEN-BAKED RIBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275° Fahrenheit (135C).
• If the ribs still have the thin membrane covering the back of the rack, remove it. See how in the notes section below.
• Season both sides of the ribs with a generous amount of salt and pepper. If you are using a spice rub, add season the ribs with it now. Place the ribs, meat-side up, into a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. (It may be necessary to cut the ribs in half for them to fit into the pan).
• Cover the pan or baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil, and then bake until the meat falls easily from the bones, 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours. We like to check the ribs after 2 hours to see how they are progressing. The ribs are done when the meat is cooked through and tender.
• While the ribs bake, make the barbecue sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• Add the ketchup, hot chili sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, season with salt then cook for 2 minutes. Set aside in preparation for the ribs to finish roasting.
• Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the aluminum foil and generously brush both sides with barbecue sauce.
• Optional: Move an oven rack near the top of the oven. Turn broiler to high and broil the ribs for 3-4 minutes, just until the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize. (Keep a close eye on the ribs while they broil so the sauce does not burn.)
• Store baked ribs, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze, wrapped in foil or freezer paper and in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then reheat.
• To reheat the ribs, wrap in foil or parchment paper and place into a 300°F oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. If you have some leftover, slather some extra sauce that's been warmed over the ribs before serving.

ESSENCE, RUSTIC RUB, AND SOUTHWEST SEASONING

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.

NEELY'S SOUTHWEST STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a small glass bowl to create the spice rub. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture for the BBQ Sauce.
• Rinse and the dry ribs, then put on a clean cutting board and pull off the thin fatty skin that lines the underside of the ribs. Trim the ribs of excess fat and meat. Liberally season both sides of the ribs with the spice rub. Wrap the ribs with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so flavors can develop and permeate the meat.
• Soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour before grilling.
• Preheat the grill to 250 degrees F. Using the hickory and charcoal, set up the grill for indirect heat.
• Arrange the ribs, meatier side down, on the far side of the grill away from the coals. Close the cover of the grill and cook the ribs for 3 hours. Turn and cook until the ribs bend, about 1 more hour.
• You will need to check on the charcoal and chips during the smoking process and replenish as needed. You will also need to maintain a temperature of 250 degrees F.
• Remove ribs from grill to a cutting board and sprinkle with more spice rub. Cut each slab into individual ribs and transfer to a serving platter. Serve the ribs with Southwest Barbecue Sauce.
• For dry ribs: Sprinkle Neely's BBQ seasoning over the ribs, cut between the bones and serve.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are soft. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer until thick and the sauce is flavorful, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

EMERIL'S SOUTHWEST DRY RUB

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

SOLAREFLEX SOUTHWESTERN BBQ RIBS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together onions, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper, fajita spices, garlic salt, oregano, cayenne, to taste, and garlic. Place ribs in a sealable container and pour the sauce over, turning to coat the meat with the sauce. Refrigerate and marinate at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
• On the SolaReflex 900, use a low black 3 quart pan with a clear glass lid that has a removable knob. You can also use a toaster oven size grill with drip pan inside our optional Clear box oven. Always wear sunglasses when solar cooking. Consider the focal point hot spot the same as an open flame, so use the same common sense and caution. When in direct alignment with the sun, it will reach over 900 degrees F, but normal cooking temps with the diffused hot spot directed on your pan will heat in the 350 to 500 degree F range, depending on sun angle and sky conditions.
• Center the cooking container on the support stand, then standing behind your cooking reflector, turn the SolaReflex 900 towards the sun and direct the reflected bright hot spot down to the support stand and center it on right 2/3 of the meat. The hot spot will track right to left as sun moves, so realign the 900 to the same starting position in 25 to 30 minutes, or when the hot spot falls on the left 2/3's of your meat. Reduce heating levels by moving the pot closer to the reflector, which makes a larger hot spot. The smaller the hot spot, the higher the heat level.
• Push a probe thermometer through the hole left by the vacant knob, into the bottom of the thickest part of the meat. Normal cooking time on sunny days will be about 45 to 60 minutes. Bright sunny days provide the fastest cooking between 9 am and 2 pm. Partial clouds will slow cooking times and lower temps, so confirm doneness with a meat thermometer.
• If the meat starts browning too much on top, open the lid and turn the meat only once to brown the other side.

CROCK POT SOUTHWEST COUNTRY-STYLE RIBS

Steps:

• Soak dried New Mexican chiles in boiling water for 30 minutes.
• Remove chiles from water, dry off, and chop finely, discarding stem and seeds; set aside.
• Brown ribs in oil in skillet over medium heat on both sides.
• Place browned ribs in the bottom of the crock pot.
• Toast cumin seeds in a small dry skillet until just fragrant but do not burn; allow to cool.
• Stir together oregano, salt, pepper, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, chopped chiles, and toasted cumin seeds in a small bowl.
• Pour mixture over ribs in crock pot.
• Spread garlic cloves over the top of sauce.
• Cover crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours or until ribs are done and tender.
• Serve ribs with sauce.

SOUTHWEST RIBS

Steps:

• Defrost ribs, season with Emeril's southwest seasoning, wrap in saran wrap, and let marinate at least over night. (I usually do this step when I bring them home from the grocery store. After I season them, I wrap them in foil and freeze them until I'm ready to cook them.).
• Remove plastic, wrap in foil, and cook for one hour at 325°F.
• Take ribs out of foil, place upside down on baking sheet, and put back in the oven. Cook another 30 minutes.
• Take ribs out, turn them right side up, and cook another 15 minutes. (Rib meat should be pulling away from the bone at this point.).
• Remove ribs again, baste with barbecue sauce (top and bottom) and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Let cool, wrapped in foil, and then cut apart. Serve and enjoy.