“The ideal ribs should be ‘meaty, smoky, juicy, tender and falling off the bone,’ says Chef Michael Smith, Prince Edward Island’s Official Food Ambassador. “The sauce should have lots of personality, and the whole thing should taste so good that I’ve got to steal the recipe.”
Today the Food Network host is on the judging panel of the first annual Tickle My Ribs Contest at Stanhope Beach Resort in Stanhope, Prince Edward Island–a competition that pits amateur cooks against pros. The top prize: bragging rights to the best ribs in PEI.
It’s a damp day out on the edge of the ocean, with winds whipping us from both sides, but that’s not enough to deter the competitors….
nor the fiddlers…
and certainly not the sack racers.
So I zipped up my jacket and stuck around as well to glean some great grilling tips and flavour combinations for you to try at home:
Will Murphy (age 13) used a garlic marinade and his own secret 13-spice rub. He served pineapple on the side for a nice sweet contrast to the ribs.
Top tip: Keep your ribs moist with lots of sauce and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Allan MacPherson and Cindy Wheatley drove up all the way from Halifax to compete with their team from Boneheads BBQ joint. They served up smoked babyback ribs flavoured with whisky and apple.
Top tip: Don’t mess with the ribs too much–let them do their thing. Cook them over lump charcoal and whatever hardwood you like the smell off.
The Pearl Cafe chef Brian Kaderavek did his ribs with a salt and pepper rub, blackcurrant and chipotle sauce and dashes of port and screech–the famous rum from Newfoundland.
Top tip: Buy good ribs from a butcher you trust, who gets them from a local farm that treats the animals well.
Mango chipotle bourbon sauce is the killer combo on the ribs by Red Shores Casino restaurant. Apprentice chef Joel Gignac–here to help Chef Dave Mottershall–is a big believer in braising and spadeloads of patience. Take note: this team won first prize!
Top tip: Braise your ribs in liquid for at least three hours before you put the rub on. Then the more time you leave the rub on, the more it sticks. 24 hours is ideal, but you could stretch that to 48.
Brave Bedford home cook Rick Dempsey is making ribs for the second time in his life today, and he has been slow-smoking them since he got up this morning.
Top tip: Use lots of smoke!
Andrew Millar of Red Shed Take Out, in Bedford, created an amazing citrus marinade, fennel-coriander rub and plum ginger BBQ sauce for his ribs, which were splashed with tequila before being presented to the judges.
Top tip: Cook them low and slow! When you think you’re done, wait another half hour.
The spiced apple and gin glaze on our last contender Donovan Bailey‘s ribs makes them taste like “kicked-up candy apple,” he says.
Top tip: Use apple wood, hickory or mesquite wood chips for a bold, in-your-face flavour that takes you back to being around the campfire as a kid.
So how do you cook your ribs?
And what’s in your secret sauce?!
Feel free to share in the comments section below…
Reader's Digest food editor Valerie Howes blogs about cooking lessons with experts, recipes from new cookbooks and food trends across Canada.
I loves me a mess o’ribs…but is it a given that when folks talk about BBQ ribs we’re always talking about pork? Don’t get me wrong, I love pork ribs, but if I had to choose…and thankfully I don’t…I think I might go beef! (should I be ducking?) Korean-style beef ribs are my all time fave, but for trad pork BBQ, I don’t want too much smoke, otherwise, I’ll be burping smoke for days. True story, and not very lady like. I don’t like ‘em too sweet, and maple is my sweetener of choice. Just enough heat to tingle the lips a bit…cayenne is good. Fruit wood smoke – apple. And totally agree on the low and slow wet braise first with a quick finish on the grill. I like fruit juice in the braising liquid. Pineapple will act as a tenderizer (so will papaya juice), but any juice will add sweetness and flavour! Damn! Now I want some ribs.
Mmmmm… Ribs…
Wish I was there! Looks so good. Thanks for sharing this with us.
One of my favourite little tricks goes back to the time, years ago, when I made Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken for the first time (from a recipe Ruth Reichl had published in her book Comfort Me with Apples) for family dinner one night.
I had all this incredible rich and aromatic braising liquid left in the pot. I didn’t want to get rid of it so I set it aside in the fridge and came up with the idea to braise pork ribs in this broth. The ribs soaked up all the flavour of soy, star anise, and cinnamon and took on a rich dark colour. Once the meat was meltingly tender, I put them on a hot grill to crisp up and served them with generous garnish of finely chopped green onions and some sambal olek (hot chili oil) on the side for an extra kick. Delicious! In the winter, we’ll skip the final BBQ step and eat them just like that, soy braised. They are perfectly tasty that way too.
Braise your ribs in liquid? – Heresy!
Maybe if you’re making soup, but not BBQ.
That’s why your ribs are probably as tough as shoe leather…..