Cocktails… delicious. Meat glazed with cocktails… more delicious! Like I said in the the first installment of Cocktail Inspirations, cocktails are a great place to get marinade and sauce inspirations.
I have to give my Uncle Skip a lot of the credit for this one. Meyers rum and Coke was was his drink and, well, it became my cousin David’s and my drink as well in the 80’s. I really love the deep and spicy molasses-y taste of a Cuba Libre set off with a squeeze of fresh lime… perfect flavors to put with pork. I thought ribs would be an excellent choice for this glaze given the casualness of the cocktail. To play up the cola flavor, I spiced it up a bit with ground allspice and ginger and the fresh lime juice in the glaze really brightens up the flavor and brings it home. Cheers, Uncle Skip!
- 3 racks St. Louis-style spare ribs or baby back ribs
- Grilled limes, for serving
- -
- For the rub:
- 1¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 5 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- -
- For the glaze:
- 3 cups cola
- ¼ cup Meyers dark rum
- 1 cup ketchup
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- Remove membrane from the backside of the ribs by taking a sharp knife to lift the corner and then pull down and off using a paper towel for better grip. Cut the racks in thirds for easier handling and place on a sheet pan. Combine the rub ingredients and sprinkle over fronts and backs of ribs make sure everything get coated and all of the rub is on the ribs (not on the pan).
- Set up grill for indirect cooking with medium-low heat (temperature around 300°F). Place drip pan under the grates where the ribs will sit and place grates back on the grill. For gas: make sure you have enough gas. For charcoal: bank the coals to one side; every hour, check on the temperature and add 10 unlit briquettes or similar amount of charcoal.
- Place the ribs bone-side down over drip pan. Close grill and cook 2 ½ to 31/2 hours for baby back ribs and 3½ to 4 hours for spare ribs; or until the meat has shrunk back from the bones and the ribs are fall apart tender. Every 30 minutes or so, rotate ribs around the grill, if necessary to ensure even cooking.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a large saucepan, bring the cola to a boil and reduce to ½ cup. Add the rum and bring to a boil for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol. Reduce the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer to thicken to a BBQ sauce consistency. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.
- About 15 to 20 minutes before ribs are done, flip the ribs so that they are meat side down. Brush liberally with the Cuba Libre glaze and close the grill cover and cook for 10 minutes. Flip ribs and brush with more glaze. Cook 5 to 10 minutes and transfer the ribs to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze and cut into individual bones for serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Don’t forget to checkout Cocktail Inspirations: Bloody Mary Flank Steak
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
Jeff
Sounds great, but didn’t you forget the extra cola and rum so the cook could have a drink? You know you should never cook with something you wouldn’t drink 🙂
You are right! With me, it’s just a given!! LOL
I am definitely going for some recipes with tasty longdrinks in it!! Good recipe!
Thank you! Let me know if you give it a try. Oh, and take Ann’s tip, be sure to make yourself one while you’re cooking! Cheers