Courters' Kitchen: Using coffee-based rub gives ribs a smoky, caffeine kick

Java-based rub make these ribs a great dish for Father's Day.
Java-based rub make these ribs a great dish for Father's Day.

KELLEY SAYS: With Father's Day coming up, we thought it would be good to make ribs, but I wanted to try something completely different. We took a little inspiration from the craft beer, spirits and coffee available in town.

BARRY SAYS: This is our homage to hipster ribs. The only thing missing was a beard and a pair of skinny jeans. Kelley balked at both.

photo Java-based rub make these ribs a great dish for Father's Day.

KELLEY: Anyway, we went with a coffee-based rub and a bourbon-based sauce for the dish.

BARRY: I've had smoked ribs all kinds of ways over the years and, in many cases, the heat is the focus. Whether in the rub or the sauce, you get a little spice. This was more about subtlety. I liked being able to taste the meat, and the coffee and the sugar and the cocoa.

KELLEY: It was different. We had the habanera sugar left over from the Hot Mexican Chocolate cookies we made back in March.

BARRY: Those were pretty amazing.

KELLEY: On the ribs, the habanera sugar had a little heat but not too much. We actually spent a good deal of time tasting and retasting the sauce. We did discuss adding craft beer, but added blood orange juice instead for a little more tangy flavor.

The final taste was very nice. The sauce we made complimented the ribs, however, I personally like a little mustard and I had a bottle of mustard-based sauce in the frig so I used both on mine.

I would also say that, since eating the ribs, I haven't been drinking any coffee since the rub kept me up all night long. So if you aren't used to coffee, go a little lighthanded on the rub.

Ribs and Rub

2 racks of baby back ribs

2 tablespoons finely ground coffee

2 tablespoons campfire sea salt

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 tablespoon McCormick Southwest seasoning

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cocoa

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients in small bowl then rub the mixture onto both sides of the ribs. You can use as much or as little as you want. Place the ribs in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, get your smoker or grill going and, once it's ready, place the ribs on it and smoke on low heat for 4-5 hours. I would suggest spraying with water several times during the cooking process to keep ribs moist. Once they're done, pull them off the grill and wrap them in foil until you're ready to serve.

If you don't own a smoker, you can cook ribs in your oven. Wrap the ribs in foil and add about cup of water. Secure the foil so it creates steam when cooking. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for one hour. Lower the heat to 250 degrees and cook for an additional 2 hours. Remove from oven and keep them wrapped until ready to serve.

The Sauce

1/2 onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons habanera sugar

2 tablespoons apple vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup blood orange juice

Sauté onion in butter to wilt. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes. You want the sauce to reduce, however, you still want liquid in the sauce. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Remove from heat and serve with ribs as is or, if you prefer a smooth sauce, run it through a blender.

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