Pumpkin and Spice

Hi! Remember me? I know I've been a bit negligent lately. Honestly, I've been busy, and a little stressed out... between family (family with babies- whoo, those'll wear you out!), friends (some from out-of country, and some with babies), a vacation and work, I've been lucky to check my e-mail once a week during the past month! Hopefully, though, things are going to be a little less hectic (not to mention that I'm feeling refreshed from my hiatus), and I'll have more time for bloggin' and internet time wastin'.

I am returning to you with a recipe that'll make you forgive my recent absence- Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs! I'm kinda so-so on ribs in general... it seems that so often they're dry and stringy and kinda disappointing. Not these- they're succulant and moist, with the flavors of cinnamon and allspice permeating the meat, glazed with a sweet and slightly spicy Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce. Seriously, these ribs are so tender and fabulous that the meat barely stays on the bones!

The Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce was actually inspired by a dish Kyle and I had at Cafe TuTu Tango, a tapas restaurant in Orlando. Tapas are always a favorite with me, because I have a terrible time deciding what to eat at restaurants- everything always sounds good- and I also have a habit of sampling everyone else's food (with permission, of course.) Tapas eliminate this problem, since everything comes in little portions, and everyone is meant to share. One of the tapas we had a TuTu Tango was a twist on favorite junk foods- chicken "nuggets" breaded with crushed Doritos, served on a popcorn puree with Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce. The chicken and puree were okay, but the tru standout of the dish was the sweet and tangy sauce. I loved it so much that when baby back ribs went on sale at the grocery store, I knew I had to use it as an oppertunity to make my own version of the sauce.

These ribs are outstanding, and while they take a long time to cook, are exceptionally easy. Make them on a lazy Saturday when you have nothing else to do but hang around the house and read a good book. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded. First, the ribs are "marinated" in a dry rub, made with plenty of brown sugar, savory spices, as well as some more unsual baking spices. I tend to think that Dr. Pepper has a rich, cooked fruit flavor to it, and I felt that baking spices like cinnamon, ginger and allspice would accent and compliment those flavors. The ribs are then wrapped securely in a foil pouch and are allowed to soak  up the flavors for several hours. Then, Dr. Pepper is added to the pouch, which is sealed back up, and the ribs are baked, "low and slow", in the oven.

While they're baking, you can make the barbeque sauce base, which features more Dr. Pepper, honey and ketchup. Once the ribs are done, the juices from the pouch are added to the sauce base- all the wonderful spices, cooking liquid and *ahem*pork fat/geletin enrich the sauce and make it something out of this world. It's cooked down until thickened, and then used to glaze the ribs before sticking them under the broiler to get a sweet, caramelized crust. Then, all that's left to do is make an absolute mess of yourself devouring them!

I'd like to point out that I had to make these twice to get pictures, because the first time I made them, everyone destroyed them before I remembered to take pictures. Oops!

Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs
Serves 3-6, depending on appetites

• 2 racks baby back ribs (I like to pick the leanest looking racks, but that's really personal preference.)
• 2 cups Dr. Pepper
• 1 recipe of Pumpkin's Spice Rub (below)
• 1 recipe Dr. Pepper Sauce Base  (below)

Pumpkin's Spice Rub

• 3/4c packed dark brown sugar
• 1T cinnamon
• 1T granulated garlic
• 1T mustard powder
• 1T salt
• 1/2T ground ginger
• 1/2T ground black pepper
• 2t allspice
• 2t onion powder
• 1/2t ground clove

Mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Dr. Pepper Sauce Base

• 1c ketchup
• 1/2c Dr. Pepper
• 1/4c honey
• 1/4c soy sauce
• 1/2t ground ginger
• 1/2t mustard powder
• 1/4t cayanne pepper (or to taste)

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients. Set aside. The sauce may seem underseasoned at this point, but later you will be adding the cooking liquid from one pouch of ribs, which will have the spices from the rub in it.

Place each rack of ribs on its own sheet of double-thick  of aluminum foil. The foil should be long enough for the ribs to fit, plus an extra 4-5 inches on either end. It should be wide enough for the edges to fold over the ribs and be crimped together.

Rub each side of the ribs with the spice rub (use half the recipe per rack- so a quarter of the recipe per side.)

Place the ribs meat-side down (bone side up) and fold the foil to make a pouch. Fold the foil in long-ways, then roll the ends up. Fold the middle over to seal. (You're going to have to get back in the pouch without tearing it later, so be sure to fold in such a way that you can re-open it.) Allow ribs to marinate for at least 5 hours. (Overnight is even better.)

Preheat your oven to 350F. Remove the ribs from the fridge and open the pouches enough to pour 1 cup of Dr. Pepper into each pouch. Seal the packets back up, and place on a cookie sheet with a lip. (No matter how well you seal the pouches, they will likely leak a little, and the liquid will probably burn onto your sheet, so you won't want to use your fanciest cookie sheet. I have a couple old, cheap sheets I use for messy things like this.)

Bake the ribs at 350F for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to 250F and bake for an additional 2 hours. After baking, remove from the oven. Carefully open one of the pouches and drain the cooking liquid into the saucepan with your sauce base.  Drain and discard the liquid from the other pouch. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until thickened to the consistancy of a thick syrup. (About 15 minutes.)

Turn on your oven's broiler. Line your cookie sheet with fresh foil. Cut the ribs into 3-4rib portions and arrange on the sheet meat side up. Brush each portion with sauce and broil for about 3 minutes. Remove, brush with sauce again, and broil another 3 minutes. Repeat once more.

(Check out the romantic fuzzy focus rib shot- the ribs were so steamy they kept fogging up my camera lens!)

Serve with your favorite barbeque fixin's and plenty of napkins.