Baby Back Ribs with Red Wine Raspberry Barbecue Sauce

This was a recipe that I originally came up with to enter into a rib contest. I spent so much time trying to perfect the recipe, I missed the deadline for the contest. But I was so happy with the results, I decided to post this one on my blog. These ribs are so good. They are coated with a dry rub and slow cooked in the oven until the meat can practically be pulled off the bone with a fork. The sweetness of the raspberry jam beautifully complements the acidity of the wine in the barbecue sauce that coats the ribs once they are cooked.

Give these a try!

Directions:

For the ribs:
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
 1 rack baby back ribs (about 3 lbs.)

For the sauce:
1 cup red wine
½ cup seedless red raspberry jam
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. ground mustard

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with two long sheets of aluminum foil, being sure that the foil sheets slightly overlap each other. 

2. Remove the thin membrane that is covering the back portion of the ribs. To do this, carefully slide a knife underneath the membrane, and then use your fingers to pull the membrane away from the bones. If the ribs have already had the membrane removed, then you can skip this step.  

3. Combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs, being sure that the rack is completely coated with the dry rub. Place the rack of ribs on the foil-lined baking sheet. Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the ribs and press the foil together to form an enclosed tent over the ribs. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 4 – 4 ½ hours, or until the meat on the ribs can easily be pierced with a fork

4. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the zinfandel over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the wine has been reduced by about half. Stir in the raspberry jam, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and ground mustard. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

5. Once the ribs have been removed from the oven, turn the oven to broil. Open the aluminum foil up and brush both sides of the ribs with the sauce. Place the ribs back in the oven (do not cover them with the aluminum foil) and broil for 1 ½ – 2 minutes, or until the sauce is nice and sticky on the ribs. 

6. Once the ribs are out of the oven, allow the ribs to rest for a few minutes. Cut the ribs into individual portions and serve with any extra sauce. 

Now dig in!