Rural Mom’s Wickedly-Good Down-Home Barbecue Pork Spareribs

As promised (in my Dibs on my Ribs post) following is my personal recipe for barbecue pork spareribs.  I’ve spent years perfecting this, grabbing a little bit of inspiration here and there… and of course, today’s plethora of grilling and rub spices have certainly made seasoning a lot easier.  Despite the shortcuts, the end result is a set of ribs that rival some of the best barbecue pits in Kentucky (though, shh… don’t tell them that!)

Rural Mom’s Wickedly-Good Down-Home Barbecue Pork Spareribs

2 Full Racks of Tyson Pork Spareribs
4 Liters of Dr. Pepper Soda
2 Cups Water
2 Tbsps McCormick Grill Mates Molasses Bacon Seasoning
½ Jar (4.6 oz size) McCormick Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub
Kraft Honey Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Medium Onion (minced)
2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
½ Cup of Salt

Place ribs in a marinade dish or a large baking dish. If necessary, use two dishes. The ribs will ideally need to be completely covered with marinade and still sit comfortably in the dish.

Pour Dr. Pepper over the ribs to completely cover, reserving 1 cup for the barbecue sauce. Add ½ cup of salt to the soda marinade slowly (it will fizz.) If using two marinade dishes, divide salt evenly between dishes (1/4 cup each.) Soak for a minimum of four hours or, ideally, over night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Drain Dr. Pepper from ribs completely and pat ribs dry with paper towels. Discard paper towels. Generously rub backside and sides of ribs with McCormick Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub until a thin layer of rub coats the backside and sides. Lay ribs flat, top side up, in baking dish. Racks of ribs should not be touching, use two baking dishes if necessary.

Generously rub topside of ribs with McCormick Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub until a thin layer of rub coats the topside. Pour 1 cup of water around the ribs taking care to not pour directly on the ribs. If you are using two baking dishes, divide the water evenly between dishes (1/2 cup each.)

Cover baking dishes with foil, tightly sealing edges. Bake for two hours.

While ribs are baking, heat EVOO in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions, sauté 5-10 minutes until onions and garlic are fragrant (soft.) Add apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, 1 cup of Kraft Honey Barbecue sauce, McCormick Grill Mates Molasses Bacon Seasoning, and 1 cup of Dr. Pepper. Simmer sauce mix 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool while ribs are baking.

Remove ribs from oven. Pre-heat grill on low heat.

Baste ribs generously with homemade barbecue sauce. Place ribs on grill, using either a rib rack or placing backside (rib side) down on a cooler spot on the grates. Grill for 10 minutes at medium-low heat.

Baste ribs generously with Kraft Honey Barbecue Sauce. Grill for an additional 5 minutes on rib rack (if not using a rib rack, flip ribs to have frontside facing grill to grill for 5 minutes.)

Remove from grill, serve, and enjoy! Use remaining Kraft Honey Barbecue sauce for slathering or dipping, if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.