When I was growing up, my mom would always tell me to act like a lady, sit like a lady, talk like a lady, and eat like a lady. As much as I try to eat like a lady most of the time, there are two situations where “lady-like manners” are out the window and I just have to eat like a dude instead:

Chicken wings and ribs.

I never understood the appeal of boneless chicken wings. Who eats wings with a fork?! That’s just silly. In my world, wings and ribs should always be eaten with fingers and lots of napkins. Getting every single piece of meat off the bones and licking your saucy fingers should be the only way they should be eaten. I’m just glad my now-husband didn’t take me to Buffalo Wild Wings on our first date, because I’m sure he probably wouldn’t want to be on a second date with me after seeing how “unlady-like” I can be when you put a plate of wings or ribs in front of me.

Anyway, back to this post…

Although this rib recipe is made in the oven, I’m sure they’ll taste equally tasty (if not better) when you throw them on a charcoal grill in the summer. In fact, my husband is looking forward to trying it out once this Minnesota weather finally decides to warm up, which I’m totally okay with – he’ll get to be all manly and stand over a grill while I wait for these succulent ribs to be cooked :)

Ingredients:

• Approximately 3 pounds of pork spare ribs, cut into 1-pound racks
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup lager-style beer
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon southwest chipotle seasoning
• 1 cup Thai sweet chile sauce
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Put the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board and remove the membranes. Rub the ribs with the lemon juice and evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the ribs bone-side down on a large roasting pan, then add the beer. Cover tightly with foil, and transfer to the oven. Roast for about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the garlic. Stir occasionally, until garlic is slightly golden brown.
• Add the chipotle seasoning, chile sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced (about 40 minutes).
• Remove the ribs from the oven. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover the pan. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.
• Combine the 1/4 cup cooking liquid with the sauce, then generously brush the sauce mixture over the ribs. Don’t be shy! The more sauce you brush on there, the better!

Note: when you take them out, you’ll find the ribs relatively sad-looking… they won’t have the nice golden color with the crunchy texture when you think “ribs”, but don’t worry! I promise they’ll turn out just fine.

• Return the pan back in the oven, uncovered, for another 35 minutes. I actually took the ribs out and brushed them with more sauce about halfway through to make sure they’re moist and flavorful.
• Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and slice. If you want, you can actually toss the ribs with the remaining sauce before serving.

We served them with a side of some homemade Cajun fries.

Enjoy!

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