JERK BABY BACK RIBS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Jerk Baby Back Ribs With Pineapple Salsa image

Learn to make the best jerk baby back ribs on the grill from this recipe from Tanya Holland.

Provided by Tanya Holland

Categories Pork Rib Pork Meat Grill/Barbecue Pineapple Summer Chile Pepper Cinnamon

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 33

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Ingredients

Jerk Marinade
1 large red onion, cut into ¼-in/6-mm slices
¾ cup (180 mL) soy sauce
¾ cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
½ cup (120 mL) apple cider vinegar
½ cup (120 mL) water
1 jalapeño chile, sliced
Habanero Vinegar
½ habanero chile, stemmed and seeded
⅓ cup (80 mL) white wine vinegar
Pineapple Glaze
Two 6 oz. (180-mL) cans pineapple juice
¼ cup (50 g) firmly packed brown sugar
Pineapple Salsa
½ pineapple, diced
1 small red onion, diced
3 small jalapeño chiles, diced
⅓ cup (55 g) diced red bell pepper
⅓ cup (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. canola oil
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Jerk Spice Rub
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 tsp. cascabel or ancho chile powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Two 2-lb (910 g) racks baby back ribs

Steps:

To make the jerk marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the onion, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, water, and jalapeño. (To make ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
To make the habanero vinegar: In a food processor, com¬bine the habanero chile and vinegar and purée until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. (To make ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)
To make the pineapple glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until sauce is thick and reduced to about one-third, about 15 minutes. (To make ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
To make the pineapple salsa: In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, onion, jalapeños, bell pepper, cilantro, oil, and lime juice. Season with salt. (To make ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 8 hours.)
To make the jerk spice rub: In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, salt, nutmeg, chile powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Use a butter knife to pry the membrane off the bone side of the ribs. Once you get a piece of the membrane loose, grab it with a paper towel and pull it toward the other end of the slab to remove it. Rub the Jerk Spice Rub evenly over the ribs. Arrange the ribs in a 15-by-10-in/38-by-25-cm baking pan. Pour the Jerk Marinade over the ribs, turning to coat both sides. Cover baking pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
Remove ribs from marinade, letting the excess drip off. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet and allow to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Brush with the Habanero Vinegar.
To cook ribs using a charcoal grill: Prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium heat. Place a shallow metal pan filled with water in the center of the grill and arrange the hot coals around it. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the ribs on the grate directly above the water-filled pan, cover the grill, and cook until tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add coals as needed to maintain medium heat.
To cook ribs using a gas grill: Preheat the grill with all the burners on high. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the ribs on the grate, turn off the burner directly under the ribs, and reduce the other burners to medium heat. Cover the grill and cook until tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
After 45 minutes, brush the ribs with some of the Pineapple Glaze, and brush them two or three times before serving. Do not flip the ribs during cooking. When the ribs are done, they will be well browned and the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones. Transfer ribs to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before cutting rack into individual ribs. Serve warm with the Pineapple Salsa.