Jerk Ribs

On rare occasions Holly will have to work on a weekend or maybe spend a few nights out of town. Usually Dave will occupy himself with video games and computer projects. Dinner will usually be from a local restaurant.

Holly's last overnight was on a Sunday. It was the first nice weekend of year, but no one really offered outdoor dining yet. So the plan was Dave would cook jerk ribs for dinner and have leftovers the next day. The only time Dave ever makes decent ribs is when Holly is away. When she is home, they turn out awful.

In an effort to occupy himself until it got cold out, Dave decided to film the process - his first attempt at a cooking show.

For this meal he uses a wet rub on the ribs first, then coats them with a jerk sauce during the final portion of the cooking process. Both recipes come from the book "Island Barbecue" by Dunstan Harris (reprinted without permission). He uses the Weber quick-ribs method for cooking the ribs in under 1.5 hours.

BBQ Jerk Ribs

1 rack of Baby Back Ribs

Wet Jerk Rub

3/4 cup chopped scallions

1 tablespoon salt (he uses way less)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 jalapeño peppers stemmed, halved, and seeds removed

1 teaspoon black pepper

Blend thoroughly. Add up to a quarter cup of white vinegar if needed to aid in the blending process.

Jerk Sauce

1 tablespoon salt (he uses way less)

1 cup white vinegar divided - 1/2 cup into blender and 1/2 cup for later

1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (he uses less)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped scallions

6 jalapeño peppers stemmed, halved, and seeds removed

1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until mostly liquid. Pour contents into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1/2 cup vinegar, reduce heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes while stirring occasionally. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. You'll have more sauce than you need - it will keep in the fridge for a bit.

Remove the back membrane from the ribs and cut the full rack into two halves. Apply the rub to both racks on both sides. Wrap tightly in foil and let set for a while. Be sure not to poke holes in the foil and firmly close all seams.

Heat the grill up - Weber suggests 350 - 450 degrees - and place the ribs over the heat. Turn occasionally and cook for an hour or so. Remove the ribs from foil and cook for another 20 minutes while adding jerk sauce on each turn.

Serve with your favorite sides.