Author Lisa Fain with the sauce adapted from a recipe found on Sam Houston State University’s web site that was first published in The Early American Cookbook by Dr. Kristie Lynn & Robert W. Pelton.
Ingredients
For the ribs:
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonblack pepper
1/4teaspooncayenne pepper
2racks St. Louis ribs
For the sauce:
3tablespoonsvegetable oil
¼medium yellow onion, grated
2garlic cloves, minced
1cupketchup
¼cupWorcestershire sauce
¼cuplemon juice
2tablespoonsapple cider vinegar
1teaspoonhot pepper sauce
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
2teaspoonspaprika
4dried chile pequins, crumbled
1tablespoondry mustard
2teaspoonswater
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 and line a large roasting pan with foil.
Mix together the salt, black pepper and cayenne and then sprinkle the ribs with the seasoning. Place the ribs meat-side up in the roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hour.
While the ribs are cooking, make the sauce. In a medium pot, heat up the vegetable oil on medium-low heat. Add the grated onions, and while stirring cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and hot pepper sauce. Add the brown sugar, paprika and crumbled chile pequins. Mix together the dried mustard with 2 teaspoons of water to form a paste, mixing until smooth. Stir the mustard into the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the lid and stir. Place the lid back on and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and add salt.
After an hour and a half, take the ribs out of the oven, open up the foil, and spread both sides of each slab with the sauce. Place back in the oven, meat-side up, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take out the ribs and spread more sauce over them, and cook for 30 more minutes or until ribs are desired tenderness.
At this point, place the ribs under the broiler and cook for 4 minutes or until the sauce is caramelized.