Summer Solstice & Brown Sugar Ribs

Hi there, welcome to Summer! I’ve been enjoying the shift in seasons which has been quite dramatic here in Ojai with the weather floating somewhere between 90 to 100 degrees. We hosted a spur-of-the-moment Summer Solstice party last week which turned out to be a really sweet, casual yet revelatory evening. I always feel like the Solstice comes and goes without much fanfare in our house beyond my own inward appreciation. This year, i’m making the most of it by turning to three pillars that make up my idea of a quintessential June evening: barbecue, bright and healthy sides and festive cocktails. I served my brown sugar ribs, which are fantastic and easy to make for a crowd (truly- i’ve never been less stressed serving 15 people) and a jug of batched mojitos while I delegated veggie sides and dessert to our friends. Here’s to even more Summer gatherings to come! 

Brown Sugar Ribs 

Serves 5 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Materials: 

• Full sheet pan 

• Small paring knife 

• Parchment paper or aluminum foil

• Grill pan on stove or charcoal, wood or gas fired grill

• Meat thermometer

Ingredients:

1 rack of pork baby back ribs 

1 cup brown sugar (may be light or dark)

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 bottle bbq sauce of your choice

freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste

Method: 

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your sheet pan with a layer of parchment or foil in the bottom. 

Unwrap your ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Place ribs with the thick, meaty side down. Using a small paring knife or scissors remove the silver skin (thin, tough membrane covering the meat and bones) starting on one side of the rack by inserting the blade between the thin membrane and the broad, flat length of the bone. Once a bit of the silver skin is released, use a paper towel to grab hold and tug the entirety of it off the rack in a sweeping motion. When done properly, it should be able to be removed in one piece.  

Combine brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Season ribs by sprinkling spices all over the rack on both sides, rubbing the mixture in as you go. If you, like me, enjoy a lot of sweetness and caramelization on your ribs, add more brown sugar all over, pressing into the surface rather than rubbing- this will create sticky crust on your meat. 

Put ribs into the 350 degree oven, checking temperature at 30 minutes looking for ribs to reach at least an internal temp of 165. At this point, spread ribs generously with bbq sauce on the top and bottom. Return to oven and allow ribs to cook for another 20-30 minutes or until they reach 195-200 degrees for optimal tenderness. Once temperature is reached, remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

If a bit more char is desired, sear the rack of ribs once out of the oven on your grill for a couple minutes to develop grill marks, about 3-5 minutes. 

Flip rack over and slice between bones to break down for serving.