My jerk pork Jamaican ribs have a mouthwatering sweet and spicy seasoning of scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, and thyme. This spicy baby back ribs recipe is not for the faint of heart!
Ingredients
- ▢4 Scotch bonnet peppers (See Note 1)
- ▢6 garlic cloves
- ▢2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ▢1/2 cup light brown sugar
- ▢2 tbsp allspice
- ▢1 tbsp ground thyme
- ▢1 tsp nutmeg
- ▢1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ▢1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ▢2 tsp salt
- ▢1 tsp ground black pepper
- ▢3-4 lbs pork loin ribs (baby back) or spare ribs
Instructions
- Using gloves, cut the tops off the Scotch bonnet peppers and put in a food processor. Do not handle without gloves. Place all other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape inside of processor to get all of the rub mix and pour into a small bowl.
- Clean the ribs up by removing the back membrane then with gloves, rub jerk sauce all over ribs. Wrap the ribs back up in the butcher’s paper (it has a great wax interior side to keep juices from dripping out), and seal with aluminum foil or in a re-sealable plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
FOR THE GRILL
- For low and slow cooking, set up the grill and preheat to 225°F. Add smoker chips per manufacturer’s instructions if desired.
- When the wood begins to smoke, unwrap the ribs and place, bone side down, meaty side up, on a sheet of aluminum foil. Put the ribs and aluminum foil directly on the grill. Cover the grill and and cook the ribs 4 to 5 hours for baby backs or 5 to 6 hours for spare ribs. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. You want the ribs to have an internal temperature of 195°F.
- Remove from the grill and let the ribs rest 10 minutes, then cut the ribs (See Note 2).
- For faster cooking: Set up the grill and preheat to medium (325° to 350°F).
- Place the ribs, bone side down, in the center of the grate, cover the grill and cook the ribs for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. You want the ribs to have an internal temperature of 195°F. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes prior to cutting.
- Remove from the grill and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes, then cut the ribs.
FOR THE OVEN
- Preheat oven to 325°F.Place the ribs, bone side down, on top of a wire rack set in an aluminum foil lined baking tray and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through, cover ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out.At this point they should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. You want the ribs to have an internal temperature of 195°F. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes prior to cutting.
Notes
- If Scotch Bonnet peppers are not available, substitute with habaneros.
- As the ribs cook, the meat shrinks and exposes the bone at the thinner end of the rib. When 1/4 inch of bone is exposed, the ribs should be done. For pork, the accepted finished temperature is 145°F. However, the collagen inside your ribs hasn’t had time to become gelatin for that perfect bite, which happens when the internal temperatures reach 165°F. It’s recommended to continue cooking ribs until they reach an internal temperature of 195°F to 200°F for that fall off the bone goodness.
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 931mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 3mg
