Bbq Ribs - Dates & Rum - Will This Work?

[AB Editor]

Evening all.

Planning to do my usual pulled pork for NYE.

I'd also like to do slow-cooked BBQ ribs. I've got lots of smoked chiptole chillis kicking about, and we've got a good base tomato sauce.

My current brainwave is to cook in some chopped dates and a dark rum. The smokey taste will come form the dried smoked chillis - but will it be too sweet otherwise?

General suggestions for ribs would be great.

[Eve]

How sweet is the base tomato sauce you have? The tomatoes should balance out the sweetness but if it's still sweet and you don't want to cut down on the dates then something like a bit of Worcester Sauce might even it out a bit.

If you're worried about the sauce being too this or that or the ribs then you could always go a bit easier on the ribs marinade and do some dips or pouring sauce.

[woofgang]

sounds divine...add a little room temperature fresh lime juice squeezed over the meat just before serving.

[Clanad]

Happy New Year to you AB Editor, but you border on a revolution if any other BBQ aficionados from the U.S. get a whiff (pun partially intended) of anyone… anyone putting dates[i in [i]any] BBQ sauce (Shudders visibly).

Problem is, take a look at the ingredients in your tomato sauce… 5'll get you 10 it includes sugar… maybe as much as 6 or 7 teaspoons per cup! So, your proposed sauce is going to be sweet already as well as a sacrilege!

Go with several finely chopped tomatoes and a jigger (maybe a 1/4 cup of dark, apple cider vinegar mixed in. For a real vive la difference' add 1/4 cup (sorry, you'll have to do the conversion) of any good Southern U.S. bourbon. It'll add a real mellow flavor as well as just a little kick. Maybe you could stop at your version of a liquor store and pick up maybe 4 or 5 bottles of the single serving bourbon one often sees served on airlines. Reasonably priced for something you're probably not likely to use again until next NYE…

Best of luck!

Oh, BTW:

A New Year's Wish

On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was almost crushed to death...

[DTCwordfan]

If you are bbqing them, add some molasses and I would suggest maple syrup to what you are proposing, the sugar 'burns' off during the cooking......

I steam mine for about 30 minutes, let them cool and marinade in the bbq sauce until needed before slapping them on the barbie. So you can do this three or four hours in advance or longer.

[AB Editor]

Thanks all. Maybe it will be too sweet.

Suggestions for upping that smokey flavor? I guess Worcester gets us someway there?

[237SJ]

You could just do a run of the mill chipotle BBQ sauce
http://bbq.about.com/u/r/od/barbecuesaucerecipes/r/ble31017f.htm

[woofgang]

you can buy bottled smoke but use it with caution, if you have got christmas money, this looks like fun

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[woofgang]

bottled smoke
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[DTCwordfan]

Chipotle pepper......brilliant stuff.

[Blackiequine]

AB editor sounds like he's from across the pond. Am I correct ed?

[grasscarp]

Clanad, I was reading this on iPod tiny screen but immediately recognised post was yours. Just to say MRU new terminal magnificent on arrival and was given VIP treatment. Building definitely impressive. Slightly let down by cafeteria outlets no better than before - maybe worse, while luxury clothes and goods that I cannot see will be much used. Happy New Year to you :0)

[Clanad]

Well… Grasscarp! What a remote part of the earth you in! Glad to hear the construction on MRU apparently went well.

Enjoy yourself… it's -10 (F) here at home right now so I'm definitely wishing to trade you places. Happy New Year to you...

[AB Editor]

Blackiequine - nope!