I haven’t cooked ribs often, but apparently that should change, as these are Very Good, and not too tricky! They are sweet, fruity, just baaarely spicy, and a delicious mess to eat. The original recipe was for spare ribs, and I only saw pork back ribs, but the ones I got were BOGO, and I just might make this recipe a second time with the second rack!

The very definition of OH, RIGHT! VEGETABLES!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds spare rib or 2 pounds pork back ribs
• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce (I used gochujang – it’s a good move)

Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic, and salt, and stir to mix.

Rub the mixture all over both sides of the ribs.

Place the ribs meat-side-up on the lined sheet, and bake 50 minutes for spare ribs, 70 for pork back ribs.

While the ribs cook, combine the berries, ketchup, syrup, ginger, vinegar, and hot sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. (An immersion blender is fine here too, as would be a food processor.)

color-check: black berries blend up red

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a saucepan, using a spatula to squeeze the juice through and leave behind the seeds.

Good riddance!

Cook the liquid over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly once it begins to bubble. Set the mixture aside to cool.

And bubble it does…

Once the ribs have cooked their 50 or 70 minutes, remove them from the oven. Pour about 1/3 of the berry mixture into a separate cup and brush both sides of the meat all over with the sauce. (You can use more than 1/3 now, you’re just trying to avoid sticking a brush that’s touched potentially-undercooked meat back into sauce that you’ll eat without additional cooking – food safety!)

Turn the sauced ribs meat side up again, and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cut into pieces, brush with some more sauce, and serve with the remainder for dipping.

Very yum!

Blackberry Ribs

From Schooner Farms.

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds spare rib or 2 pounds pork back ribs
• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha, gochujang, or other hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic, and salt, and stir to mix. Rub the mixture all over both sides of the ribs. Place the ribs meat-side-up on the lined sheet, and bake 50 minutes for spare ribs, 70 for pork back ribs.

While the ribs cook, combine the berries, ketchup, syrup, ginger, vinegar, and hot sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a saucepan, using a spatula to squeeze the juice through and leave behind the seeds. Cook the liquid over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly once it begins to bubble. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Once the ribs have cooked their 50 or 70 minutes, remove them from the oven. Pour about 1/3 of the berry mixture into a separate cup and brush both sides of the meat all over with the sauce. Turn the sauced ribs meat side up again, and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into pieces, brush with some more sauce, and serve with the remainder for dipping.