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Fig and Mustard Ribs

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Spice Rub Marination2 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: apple cider vinegar, baby back ribs, chipotle chiles in adobo, fig jam, garlic, garlic powder, gluten free, herbs de Provence, kosher salt, light brown sugar, onion, onion powder, spicy brown mustard, worcestershire sauce
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Equipment

  • Blender or Immersion Blender

Ingredients

Dry Rub for Ribs

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 racks baby back pork ribs (3–4 lb. total)* with membrane removed from the bone side of the ribs, I had the butcher do that!

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, or avocado
  • 1 medium onion red or white, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1 cup fig jam See NOTES section below
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo finely chopped, add more if you like spicier ribs (available in most markets)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Dry Spice Rub for Ribs

  • Mix 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl to combine.
  • Place racks of ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry. (You may need two baking sheets). Sprinkle spice rub all over ribs and pat to adhere. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
  • The spice rub can be made ahead. Just be sure to store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Cooking the Ribs

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of heavy duty foil. Place ribs, meat side up, on lined baking sheet. Pour 1½ cups water directly into the foil and then tightly wrap the foil around the ribs.
  • Bake ribs on middle rack until meat is very tender, 1½ hours for smaller racks and 2 hours for larger racks. Remove baking sheet from the oven and place sheet near the sink. Carefully unwrap foil (a lot of steam will come out of the foil!) and pour water into the sink. Place a new piece of foil onto the baking sheet and place the ribs on top.

Making the Sauce

  • While the ribs are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup fig jam, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup spicy brown mustard, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
  • Bring sauce to a simmer, stir occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender, then transfer to a small bowl.) Season with freshly ground pepper if needed.

Saucing the Ribs

  • Heat broiler.
  • Brush half of the sauce onto the top of the ribs. Broil ribs, meat side up, on upper rack placed 5-6" below the broiler coils for about 4-6 minutes, until ribs are lacquered and lightly charred in spots.
  • The ribs can also be finished off on the grill over medium high heat. Meat side up, following same directions as for the broiler.
  • Then brush a second coating of sauce onto the ribs and broil or grill for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Serving

  • Transfer ribs to a cutting board. Allow to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before cutting between the bones into individual riblets. Then arrange on a platter and serve with any additional sauce. A side of cornbread and slaw completes the meal!

Notes

*My racks of ribs were very heavy...each rack weighed 3.5 pound. The amount of sauce for this recipe is based on two racks that each weigh 1.5-2 lbs. So if the racks you buy weigh more as mine did, you will need to increase the sauce ratio.
Since fig jam is generally more expensive than other jams, you can use a 1/2 cup fig jam (which is half of the amount called for in the recipe) and combine it with a 1/2 cup of either apricot jam and/or orange marmalade. If you can't find fig jam at your local market use a combination of apricot jam and orange marmalade.
To remove the membrane from bone side of ribs yourself, lift and loosen skin with a knife and pull/tug it off and discard. It should pull away in a single sheet. By doing this, it allows the spice rub to penetrate the meat more fully.