Bourbon Glazed Baby Back Ribs

This one gets filed under my new "Weeknight Dinners" category, my long-overdue and very neglected project for the New Year. 

Bear with me. 

So, these ribs are fantastic. IF you like bourbon. Now, you don't have to like bourbon enough to drink it in order to appreciate these ribs. I would never be able to drink a glass of it.  But flavor my dessert with it? Use it in a marinade for chicken or a glaze for ribs? Sign me up - I'm totally in. I don't know what it is about bourbon when it's used with meat, but I'm a fan. Having said that, you could always cut the bourbon in half if you want it to be a little more subtle. Nothing wrong with that - subtle is good too.

Recipe for Bourbon-Glaze

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

-makes enough for 2 to 4 racks of ribs - depending on saucy you like your ribs-

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. honey

1/4 cup bourbon 

3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. plum sauce

1 Tbsp. molasses

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek (hot chili paste found in Asian isle)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper to taste

2 to 4 racks of ribs

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of unsweetened pineapple juice

For the glaze: Whisk the first 13 ingredients together and set aside. Can be made 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate.

For the ribs: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. Season generously with Hy's seasoning salt and pepper. (Regular kosher salt is fine too.) Place ribs in a shallow roasting. Pour 1 cup of pineapple juice over the ribs. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender.

Remove from oven. Generously slather the ribs with the glaze. Finish on the barbeque on medium heat, basting the ribs with the glaze, and allowing the glaze to bake into the ribs, creating a crust (10 to 15 minutes). Serve.