We all can be very particular about what seasonings we use when it comes to pork ribs. Brining, dry-rubs, the approaches can differ. Other things to consider is whether we use a smoker, or just the grill or the oven but we can all agree that whatever the method you go with, pork ribs need to be cooked slow and low and seasoned well. For the rub, I’ve added a bit of coffee to improve the color of the final sear and add a bit of bitterness to emphasize the final sear and balance the sweetness of a that good ole spicy BBQ sauce! Get them beers cold and ready, this is gonna be good!
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Sous Vide Time: 24 hours
Sous Vide Temp: 143F
For the rub and the ribs:
2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 pounds total)
¼ cup instant coffee
2 tsp liquid smoke of your preference. Apple wood is a nice option here.
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar.
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil (if deep frying)
For the spicy BBQ sauce:
1 serrano pepper or 2 Fresno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cups ketchup
Method
- Get your water bath ready. Hot tap water speeds up the heating. Set the custom temperature to 143°F, set the time to 24 hours and close the lid if you have a lid on it. For long cooks like this, having a lid is nice so you don’t have to worry about refilling the water bath due to evaporation.
- While the water heats, you have plenty of time to work on the rib rack. Remove that white membrane covering the back of the ribs. Get a good grip on it and peel it off, using a kitchen towel if necessary.
- Cut the racks into 2 or 3 sections. Depends on the size of your sous vide container and your bag of choice. If you can have the whole rack in one big vacuum sealed baggie, you’re golden but before bagging.
- Place the rib sections (or the whole thing) on a baking tray or any surface you don’t mind messing up. Mix the rub ingredients, instant coffee, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl and apply the rub generously on both sides of the ribs, pressing it into the meat with your hands.
- Place each rib section in individual vacuum bags. Add the liquid smoke evenly between the baggies. Seal using your vacuum sealer or use Ziplock bags and the water displacement method. When the water reaches temperature add the bag to the water bath. Close the lid. Cook for 24 hours.
- While the ribs cooks, make the spicy BBQ sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and the peppers for about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and cook until it melts. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Allow to cool. Transfer to a blender and blend on high speed until very smooth. Transfer to a plastic squeeze bottle or a medium size jar.
- Once the ribs are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. MAKE SURE THEY ARE DRY!
- Set your grill to high heat. When the grill is hot add the ribs. Get some nice grilling marks and a bit of charring, about 3-4 minutes per side. Brush the ribs with a layer of BBQ sauce and grill for an extra minute per side. Remove from the grill and serve.
- Another option for getting a nice golden sear on the ribs is using a deep fryer approach. If you have one … maybe use it but 375F is usually a bit too low a temperature to get a nice sear without sacrificing juiciness. Set up your own deep fryer. Heavy pot, use as high smoke point oil. Heat to 415F and fry the rib sections one at a time for about 2 minutes each. BE SUPER CAREFUL. A grease fire is the last thing you’ll ever want to deal with so unless you know what you’re doing… DON’T DO THIS.
- Now get them beers and enjoy the best pork ribs you’ll ever have!
And that is it!
I hope everyone is ok enjoying the new year! If you want to check out more pork recipes using your sous vide bath check out these 2 recipes: Beer Brined Pork Shoulder and Sous Vide Smoked Pork Shoulder. Leave me any questions or suggestions in the comments section!
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