Rhubarb Recipe: Ribs with Apple Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

I found myself with two apples that needed to be used. What to do, what to do? I thought about it a bit and then I came up with the idea to see if the rhubarb was still useable. We hadn’t harvested it this year so I had no idea. In past years I would have made a strawberry rhubarb pie by now. The hubby went out and looked and he brought me in a couple of stalks. Woo hoo! I went down and got ribs out of the freezer and I was ready to bring my idea to the dinner table. Ribs with apple rhubarb barbecue sauce. I am always happy to try a new rhubarb recipe around here. It’s a garden product that does tend to confuddle me.

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Ribs with Apple Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

serves 3-4

• 1 rack of pork ribs
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 TBS dried thyme
• 2 gala apples
• 1 cup diced rhubarb
• 1 tsp salt and more to taste as needed
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tsp cardamom or cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 250
• Sprinkle ribs with 1 TBS salt, the garlic powder, the onion powder and the thyme.

• Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• While the ribs are cooking make the barbecue sauce.

• Peel, core and dice the apples.

• Place the diced apples and rhubarb in a medium saucepan. Add the tsp of salt. Just cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer the apples and rhubarb until very soft adding more water if necessary.
• When the fruit is very soft use an immersion blender to reduce to a sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender use a regular blender. If you need to add a little water that is fine.
• When the fruit is smoothish add the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, ketchup and cinnamon.
• Simmer until reduced by half and it becomes a thick sauce. Adjust seasoning.
• Turn up the heat on the ribs to 300 and cover with the apple rhubarb sauce. Roast for 30 minutes and repeat.
• Turn up the heat to 350 and add another layer of sauce and roast for 30 minutes.
• Lower the heat to 250, add the last of the sauce and let slow cook for another 30 minutes to an hour if you have the time. This last is not necessary to cook the ribs, only to reduce the sauce and make it thicker.

• Serve with rice and the vegetable of your choice. (I made sauteed beet greens with roasted beets for the hubby.)

How Was the Rhubarb Recipe?

This was a really delicious barbecue sauce from a quick, thrown together idea because I had two apples I had to use up. I must admit I was very happy that the rhubarb was out in the garden. Admittedly I would have figured something out without it but it was helpful for me to have it available. And I am always looking for something to do with the rhubarb crop. Go hubby! We both really enjoyed this meal and it was nice that I didn’t have to make a huge batch to have to process. I don’t want a lot of stuff in the basement right now.

I’ve served him salmon with rhubarb and blueberry sauce before and he really enjoyed that so it’s definitely something that does work for dinner. Good to know, right?

Ribs with Apple Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

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slow cooked, pork ribs with a homemade apple rhubarb barbecue sauce

• Author: Patty @bookscookslooks.com
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours
• Total Time: 57 minute
• Yield: 3 - 4 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Baking and Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 rack of pork ribs
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 TBS dried thyme
• 2 gala apples
• 1 cup diced rhubarb
• 1 tsp salt and more to taste as needed
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tsp cardamom or cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250
• Sprinkle ribs with 1 TBS salt, the garlic powder, the onion powder and the thyme.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• While the ribs are cooking make the barbecue sauce.
• Peel, core and dice the apples.
• Place the diced apples and rhubarb in a medium saucepan. Add the tsp of salt. Just cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer the apples and rhubarb until very soft adding more water if necessary.
• When the fruit is very soft use an immersion blender to reduce to a sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender use a regular blender. If you need to add a little water that is fine.
• When the fruit is smoothish add the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, ketchup and cinnamon.
• Simmer until reduced by half and it becomes a thick sauce. Adjust seasoning.
• Turn up the heat on the ribs to 300 and cover with the apple rhubarb sauce. Roast for 30 minutes and repeat.
• Turn up the heat to 350 and add another layer of sauce and roast for 30 minutes.
• Lower the heat to 250, add the last of the sauce and let slow cook for another 30 minutes to an hour if you have the time. This last is not necessary to cook the ribs, only to reduce the sauce and make it thicker.
• Serve with rice and the vegetable of your choice.

Notes

These ribs were better for cooking longer at the lower temperature.

Keywords: barbecue ribs, apple and rhubarb barbecue sauce