Cherry Cola Baby Back Ribs
The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
You don’t have to be a pit master to create award-winning ribs at home! In fact, it’s very easy to achieve delicious char and flavor with the help of Heinen’s.
Take these Cherry Cola Baby Back Ribs for example. Cooking ribs can be intimidating, but when shopping in Heinen’s Meat Department, I learned that they have Care Certified pork riblets, which are individually cut. These are perfect for people who are new to cooking ribs or are looking to save time in the kitchen, but standard ribs work just as well – it’s actually what I ended up using for this recipe.
I also learned that summer is cherry season and since cherries pair so well with meat, I couldn’t help but cook these ribs in a cherry cola-based marinade!
Finished on the grill for that unmistakable smoky flavor, these ribs are a great way to level up your next summer BBQ!
Cherry Cola Baby Back Ribs
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 3-4 racks Heinen's CARE Certified pork ribs
- Salt and pepper
For the Marinade
- 1/2 cup Heinen's olive oil
- 1/2 cup cherry cola or any dark cola
- A palm full of tri-colored peppercorns
- 6-7 chive stalks, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 10-12 dark cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/8 cup minced garlic
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen's grilling seasoning
- 1 tsp. Heinen's red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. Heinen's smoked paprika
For the BBQ Glaze
- 1 container Bonne Maman cherry preserves
- 1 container Robert Rothschild smoky chipotle BBQ sauce (or similar chipotle BBQ sauce)
Instructions
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Place the ribs in large Ziploc bags or trays and pour the marinade over the top. If using a tray, cover the top with plastic wrap once the marinade is added. Allow to marinade in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Flip the ribs after 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove the ribs from the fridge and place each rack on top of a foil strip that is large enough to form a packet around each rack. Fold the foil to form an open packet and place the packets in a large baking tray. Do not overcrowd the tray.
- Mix together the ingredients for the BBQ glaze and reserve 1/4 for later.
- Use the remaining 3/4 to baste the ribs on both sides until covered.
- Once coated with the glaze, seal the packets with another layer of foil.
- Place the tray with the rib packets in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
- Once they are done, remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for at least 45 minutes so they don’t fall when grilled.
- Prepare an outdoor grill or direct grilling over medium heat (around 375°F).
- Remove the ribs from the foil and place them on the grill. Grill for 5 minutes on each side to form grill marks.
- Use the reserved glaze to baste each side.
- Remove from the grill and enjoy!
