RECIPE BOX: CHIPOTLE MOLASSES RIBS
One thing a big move like ours prompts is cleaning and organization. Having to take things with you, and then move them into a fresh space, really makes you evaluate what you want and how you want it. I say how, because when we started unpacking our San Francisco kitchen, I discovered how many mish-matched, unorganized pieces of paper I had lying around with recipes scribbled on them.
Now that we're settled in Houston, I've started going through the piles of paper and putting my recipes into a book (I use the Martha Stewart line from Staples, because you can add, subtract, and re-organize as often as you want!). One of the benefits of this is that we're revisiting recipes I haven't made in years, like today's recipe that originally made it's debut for a July 4th picnic back in 2010.
These ribs are fall off the bone tender thanks to a beer marinade and several hours in the oven before they hit the grill to be slathered in a sweet, tangy, slightly spicy molasses and whiskey based BBQ sauce.

CHIPOTLE MOLASSES RIBS
INGREDIENTS 1 rack Pork baby back ribs
MARINADE
12 oz Pale Ale (I prefer a hoppy IPA)
1/4 C Molasses
1 tsp Chipotle powder
1 tsp BBQ spices (see my recipe below)
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
BBQ SAUCE
1 T Vegetable oil
1/2 C Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C Molasses
1/4 C Bourbon Whiskey
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 C dried onion
1 C Ketchup
3/4 tsp BBQ spices
BBQ SPICE MIX
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Brown sugar
1/4 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
DIRECTIONS
RIBS
Combine marinade ingredients in a large pyrex or metal roasting pan. Marinate ribs for 4-24 hrs. Place ribs (still in marinade) into a 300F oven for 2 hrs. Finish on a hot grill, 2-3 min. per side, basting with sauce.
SAUCE
Heat oil in pan. Add dried onion and stir for 20 seconds. Add vinegar and reduce by 1/4. Add ketchup, molasses, whiskey and all spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15-20 min.




