Dr Pepper Ribs by Robert Louis Murphy

Ingredients

"The soft drink Dr Pepper was originally sold as a medicine even though it has no medicinal value whatsoever. It just makes you feel better, probably because of the sugar hit. It is not really sold as a marinade, but it makes a surprisingly tasty marinade when combined with a few other things. This version of beef short ribs is hard to beat." ~ Robert Louis Murphy.

6 rack of beef ribs, cut into 2.5cm thick
2 batches Dr. Pepper Marinade (see below)
3 Tbs maple syrup
6 Tbs water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Quick Barbeque Sauce (see below)
Mayonnaise or aioli (optional), to serve

Dr. Pepper Marinade:

1 can Dr Pepper (330mL)
250mL soy sauce
2 oranges, juiced

Quick Barbeque Sauce:

250mL honey or maple syrup
250mL tomato sauce (ketchup)
60mL lemon juice
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method

Dr. Pepper Marinade:

Combine all ingredients together. Use immediately.

Quick Barbeque Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then turn to simmer and stir well. Reduce until it reaches the desired consistency.

Ribs:

Place rib racks in a large plastic container or in a zip-lock plastic bag and add one batch of Dr Pepper Marinade to cover. Leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours or preferably overnight.

Wrap the ribs tightly in tin foil and cook at 100 C–125 C (225 F–250 F ) away from direct heat on your barbeque for at least an hour.

Unwrap the ribs and dip them into the fresh (second batch) marinade. Set them directly over the fire until they are a deep reddish-brown with a crust on both sides.

Combine maple syrup and warm water in a small bowl to make a glaze. Lightly brush the surface of the cooked ribs with the glaze and season the ribs lightly with salt and pepper.

Serve with barbeque sauce, mayonnaise/aioli or any other favorite sauce or condiment.

NOTE: this dish can be served whole to serve 6 people as a main, or cut each section in half and serve 12 as a starter. If you really must use ribs ‘off the rack’, they will be three times larger than this recipe requires. This will affect the cooking times and will involve cooking the wrapped ribs very slowly on a low, indirect heat until the internal meat temperature is about 80 C (180 F).

Credits: Recipe by Robert Louis Murphy. Texan BBQ, New Holland Publishers, RRP $45.00 available from all good book stores or online.

Photo Credits: Recipe by Robert Louis Murphy. Texan BBQ, New Holland Publishers, RRP $45.00 available from all good book stores or online.