Happy Fourth of July everyone! I’m going to share with you a homemade barbeque sauce recipe. But this one has a hint of an American classic: apple pie. Now I know it sounds weird but I promise, it's delicious.
The sauce comes together in under an hour, and you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks. Now, I’m also going to give you my recipe for oven baked ribs, because at our house, that’s what we eat on the Fourth of July, and it pairs perfectly with this sauce.
Sauce ingredients
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2tbsp. tomato paste
1/3 c. apple butter
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
3tbsp. pure maple syrup
2tsp. whole grain mustard
1tsp. liquid smoke
½ tsp. granulated garlic powder
½ tsp. dried minced onion
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Ingredients for the ribs
3-4 lb. rack of pork baby back ribs
1tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
Pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
Directions
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For the sauce, prepare the night before if possible. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes. You will want to cover with a lid because it will bubble and splatter.
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Let sauce cool to room temperature and then place in fridge until ready to use.
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For the ribs, preheat oven to 300 degrees, then place a piece of foil underneath on a sheet pan. Remove ribs from packaging pat dry. There is a membrane on the bone side of the ribs. If you look for it at the edges and pull from the side you can usually get it all in one go. If there is a spot or two that didn’t come off, take a knife and score it.
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Combine all spices in a small bowl and then pat the meat thoroughly. Place ribs meat side down.
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Place another piece of foil over the top of the ribs. Fold all the edges with the bottom piece of foil to create a foil pouch.
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Place sheet tray with ribs meat-side-down in oven and bake for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and brush ribs with barbeque sauce. Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes more.
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Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Then place on preheated grill to caramelize the sauce. While on the grill, brush 2-3 more times with sauce, then serve.
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If you want to finish in your oven: After the rest time, remove foil and place ribs meat side up on the tray. Brush with sauce and cook 5-10 more minutes at 375 degrees.