Ribs are a big deal in this household. There is nothing like a rib that falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. This week’s recipe is sure to please: Beer Basted Boar Ribs!
I am a huge fan of cooking with beer. Guinness is my all-time favourite beer to cook with. I can’t stand drinking the stuff straight, but cook it down and it adds incredible flavour. You will always find Guinness in my fridge at home. I’d never considered cooking ribs in beer but, when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. The meat stays moist, infuses with that rich creamy (alcohol-less!) flavour, and the bitterness of the beer melts away, leaving you with some seriously delicious ribs. This recipe is a modification of my go-to rib rub for slow cooker ribs. You can absolutely use your own tried-and-true recipe if you’d like, but make sure you tone the spices down a bit. If you use cayenne, use it sparingly. Omit spices like chili powder. On regular ribs, the extra flavour is absolutely worth it, but when you’re cooking with beer you want the ingredients to meld without clashing.
Surprisingly simple for such intense flavour!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 0.5 tablespoons seasalt
- 0.5 tablespoods basil (dried, chopped better than ground)
- 0.75 teaspoons oregano (dried, chopped better than ground)
- 0.75 teaspoons ground pepper
- 0.2 teaspoons cayenne
- 1 can Guinness (or other, non-light beer)
- 1 full rack of ribs
- Barbecue sauce of your choosing
My ribs in all of their seasoned glory!
ROTATION
- Mix together your spices and brown sugar
- Rub your spice mix on both sides of the rib rack, making sure to get the sides. Let sit for 15-20 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 350*F
- Line a baking tray and pour in your beer
- Place ribs into beer mix fleshy side up. Dump all extra spices on top
- Cover your tray tightly with tinfoil and place in the oven for 1.5 hours
- Remove ribs from oven
- Preheat your oven to 450*F
- Lather the top side of your ribs in barbecue sauce, coating evenly
- Place ribs in the oven, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes
And that’s it! Absolutely delicious ribs with very little work involved! Again, Guinness elevates a meal to the next level. Don’t worry, parents: this recipe IS kid-friendly as all of the alcohol cooks away. The strong, bitter taste of Guinness becomes a subtle flavouring that even those of us who dislike beer will love. These ribs are definitely going to be added to our monthly roster of meals. I served mine with an herbed flat bread and mixed vegetables.
Looks great Kris. Of course, if you like Guinness it probably goes well with Boar!
True! Thank you! I really do need to use Guinness more often.