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Kansas City Style Dry Rubbed Beef Ribs with KC Barbecue Dipping Sauce
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By Christopher B. O'Hara
Posted July 23rd, 2007
This article is reprinted with permission from Ribs: A Connoisseur's Guide to Barbecuing and Grilling, by Christopher B. O'Hara, (2000, The Lyons Press)
Ribs: A Connoisseur's Guide to Barbecuing and Grilling
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Servings: 6
Author Notes: Kansas City is the crossroads of barbecue, a place where American barbecue styles melded together. The combination of transplanted Southerners and Texans, and more beef than you can shake a stick at (it is the Midwest, of course) produced a barbecue culture of its own. Both KC Masterpiece and Bull's Eye bottled sauces came out of KC, which is testimony to its appeal. The style of classic Kansas City sauce varies according to which part of Kansas City you're from. Generally, it is a thick, tomato-laden, tangy and sweet sauce. Pretty much like KC Masterpiece. Homemade is better, of course. This recipe is the best of all worlds: you have a great classic dry rub and a fantastic sauce for dipping.

This recipe calls for beef ribs (acknowledging Kansas City's Midwestern beef heritage - although most KC restaurants serve the traditional baby back ribs), but you can substitute whatever kind of ribs you like. The author prefers to dry-rub the ribs first, baste some barbecue sauce on for the last 20 minutes of cooking, and then use the sauce for dipping while eating. However, feel free to thin down the (thick) sauce to use as a mop during cooking.
Ingredients: 2 large racks of beef ribs
OR
3 large racks of baby back ribs

2 large Ziplock freezer storage bags

Dry Rub: (yields 2 cups but keeps indefinitely)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup celery salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Classic Barbecue Sauce: (yields about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup dark unsulphered molasses
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Instructions: Mix all dry rub ingredients together. Store in a covered jar.

In a large bowl, mix sauce dry ingredients together well. Add ketchup, molasses, vinegar and Tabasco®. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and heat over a medium flame until warm, stirring frequently. The idea is to make sure the dry ingredients melt into the sauce.

Buy your ribs and make your dry rub the day before you plan on cooking. To apply dry rub, sprinkle (rather than actually rub) the mixture on the meat - it should be moist enough so the rub sticks to the surface. A light coating is sufficient, but use as much as you like, as it tends to come off during handling and cooking. Seal your ribs in plastic bags and refrigerate overnight. You can also prepare your sauce that day and set it aside in the refrigerator.

If you are planning on barbecuing these ribs, set the temperature at roughly 250° F and cook the ribs with the lid closed. Adding some soaked mesquite or other hardwood chips is recommended, but not necessary. Cook the ribs for approximately 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or until the meat has shrunk back well from the bone. About 15 minutes before the ribs are done, add a generous coating of the barbecue sauce.

Serve with the remaining sauce and ice cold beer.



 

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