Yield: 4 servings

Dark Chocolate Chipotle Espresso Baby Back Ribs

Dark Chocolate Chipotle Espresso Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

  • 1 rack baby back pork ribs, sinew on back removed

For Rub:

  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. hickory smoked salt
  • ½ tsp. seasoned salt such as Johnny's
  • ½ Tbl. smoked sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. herbs de provence, crush between fingers when adding
  • 1 tsp. instant espresso powder such as Madaglia D'Oro
  • 1/2 tsp. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder

For Sauce:

  • 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. instant espresso powder
  • 1 Tbl. dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. sweet aged balsamic vinegar
  • 3 squares Lindt Excellence Chili Dark Chocolate, broken up
  • 1/16 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder
  • 1 Tbl. real butter

Instructions

  • Remove sinew (silver skin) from back of ribs. Place rack of ribs, meaty side up onto a large sheet of heavy duty foil.
  • In small bowl, mix very well the dry run ingredients. Pat on a little over half onto the top side of the ribs. Turn ribs over, and pat on rest of rub. Bring up sides of foil and roll down. Roll up each end. *BE CAREFUL not to tear or make holes in foil. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake now, or let let marinate for several hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 300º F.
  • Pop ribs into oven and bake for 2½ hours. Remove from oven
  • Turn oven up to 350 degrees.
  • Carefully open foil, and move ribs to a new foil-lined baking sheet back/bone side-up.
  • While ribs are baking, in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together all sauce ingredients well, except butter, until chocolate has fully melted. Simmer, stirring for a few minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted and sauce is silky smooth. Set aside until needed.
  • When ribs are done and transferred to a clean, foil-lined and sprayed baking sheet, coat bone side with a little less than half of the sauce.
  • When oven has reached 350º, pop into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, turn ribs over, coat with rest of sauce.
  • Pop back into oven and bake another 10-12 minutes.
  • Cut into serving-sized pieces.