Just like a country ham that’s dry-cured with salt and sugar and aged to perfection, a good beef rib sauce must balance sweet (in this case brown sugar) with spicy (cayenne and dry mustard). And, as with baby back pork ribs, beef ribs benefit from the added depth and complexity of a rich sauce because they don’t have that much flavor to begin with. I promise that your guests will appreciate Chef Cris’s Lava Mustard Barbecue Sauce.
SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES, PLUS 1 DAY TO SEASON THE MEAT
COOKING TIME: 2½ HOURS
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 pounds beef ribs
2 cups Lava Mustard Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
1 Mix all of the seasonings in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over both sides of the beef ribs. Put the ribs in a large roasting pan, cover with foil, and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
2 Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3 Add enough water to the roasting pan to cover the ribs and cover again with foil.
4 Cook the ribs for 1½ hours. Pull the ribs out of the oven and ladle with the juices to keep them moist. Put the ribs back in the oven, cover, and cook for 1 more hour.
5 Preheat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grill grates.
6 Remove the ribs from the oven and baste with some of the barbecue sauce.
7 Finish the ribs on the grill (in batches, if necessary) for 5 minutes on each side—this will ensure that they have a nice crust and smoke-infused flavor. (If you prefer, you can finish them in a 400°F oven.) Serve with the remaining barbecue sauce.
Makes about 3 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
¼ cup Kentucky bourbon
1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2 Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, but don’t allow the onion to turn brown. Add the bourbon and cook off the alcohol, 1 to 2 minutes.
3 Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, mustard, and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring at regular intervals.