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Weekend Recipe: Grilled Spicy Marmalade-Glazed Baby Back Ribs

By Cynthia Dea
May 29, 2015
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We know that boiling ribs before setting them on the grill is controversial, but let's face it, cutting the cooking time down by half is tempting for any home cook. America's Test Kitchen gives a precise temperature for simmering the meat to ensure that flavor is never compromised. Plus with this spicy marmalade glaze thrown on after -- no one will ever know (and we won't tell).

Photo courtesy of Cook's Illustrated

Grilled Glazed Baby Back Ribs
Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons salt
2 (2-pound) racks baby back or loin back ribs, trimmed, membrane removed, and each rack cut in half
1 recipe glaze

Spicy Marmalade Glaze
Makes about 1 cup

2/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

Dissolve salt in 2½ quarts water in Dutch oven; place ribs in pot so they are fully submerged. Bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook at bare simmer until thickest part of ribs registers 195 degrees, 15 to 25 minutes. While ribs are simmering, set up grill. (If ribs come to temperature before grill is ready, leave in pot, covered, until ready to use.)

For the charcoal grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove ribs from pot and pat dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of ribs with 1/3 cup glaze. Grill ribs, uncovered, flipping and rotating as needed, until glaze is caramelized and charred in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, brushing with another 1/3 cup glaze halfway through cooking. Transfer ribs to cutting board, brush both sides with remaining glaze, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut ribs between bones to separate, and serve.

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