Set the table, pass the napkins, and dig into one of the most satiating and soul-satisfying meals of summer. Martha Stewart shares her smokin' Saint Louis-style pork ribs that are perfect to the taste. Discover how to make this delicious and easy-to-do dish:
Recipe: Saint Louis-style pork ribs (on this page)
For more recipes and cooking tips, visit Martha Stewart online.
Saint Louis-style pork ribs, available at most supermarkets, have a rich taste and a robust texture. The ribs' generous amount of meat is enhanced — but not overwhelmed — by barbecue rubs and sauces. Unlike baby back or spare ribs, this rack is trimmed to a neat rectangle with uniform, not tapered, ends that ensure even cooking.
Prepare the ribs: Place 1 rib rack, meat side down, on a work surface. With a knife, cut a small slit through the silvery membrane at 1 end of the rack. Using a paper towel, grip the cut portion of the membrane, gently peel it from the rack, and discard. Repeat with remaining rack.
Make the rub: Combine sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard powder, and celery seed in a bowl. (If mixture is clumpy, pass through a medium sieve.) Rub mixture on both sides of each rack. Place ribs on a rimmed baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
Make the sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in bourbon, scraping the pan. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, water, and sugar, and cook, continuing to stir, until sugar dissolves.
Simmer the sauce: Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by 1/3, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Puree in a blender until smooth. (You should have about 2 cups.) Use immediately, or let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Grill the ribs: If using a gas grill, heat to medium-low. Let ribs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Fold a paper towel into a thick rectangle, and dip it in oil. Hold towel with tongs, and brush oil on top grill rack. Place both rib racks, bone side down, on top grill rack, directly over pan. Cover, keeping top grill vents halfway open and bottom vents completely open to maintain grill temperature of 275 degrees to 325 degrees. Cook ribs, without turning, until the meat is tender but not falling off bones, and has shrunk 1/2 inch from ends, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding 8 briquettes to each charcoal pile every hour.
Baste the ribs: Transfer 1 cup sauce to a small serving bowl. Brush both sides of ribs with remaining 1 cup sauce. Cover, and grill until ribs are glistening and deep mahogany, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.
Hint: To achieve great ribs indoors, preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle position. Fit a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Place ribs, bone side down, on rack. Roast, rotating halfway through, until meat is tender, but not falling off bones, and has shrunk 1/4 inch from ends, about 2 hours. Transfer 1 cup barbecue sauce to a bowl. Brush both sides of ribs with remaining 1 cup sauce. Return ribs to oven until glistening and deep mahogany, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with reserved sauce.
Grilling tip: If you don't have a chimney starter, pile the charcoal briquettes in a pyramid around a wad of newspaper in the center of the bottom grill rack. Ignite newspaper, carefully moving briquettes occasionally with tongs or a grilling spatula to heat evenly.
If your charcoal grill doesn't have a built-in thermometer, monitor its temperature by inserting a candy or deep-frying dial thermometer into one of the kettle's top vents.
© 2013 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
We all love a good sale, and when you see that sign — 20 percent off, 30 percent off, 50 percent off — you assume you're getting a deal.
Renowned for her inventive and resourceful advice for stylish living, Martha Stewart turns her attention to children with "Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids." Here's an excerpt.
“ ”