Coca Cola BBQ Ribs
by Chef David Lawrence
This is the ONLY rib recipe you will ever need. Sticky and sweet. Absolute perfection!
- 1 (1.5 liter) bottle of Coca-Cola (not diet!)
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2/3 stick unsalted butter
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1½ tablespoons yellow mustard
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (12 ounce) can Coca-Cola (not diet!)
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a large pot, add the (1.5 liter) bottle of Coca-Cola, onion, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns. Add the ribs and, if necessary a bit of water just to ensure the ribs are submerged completely. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, turning the ribs occasionally, until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce combine the butter, onion, garlic, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and (12 ounces) Coca-Cola in large heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 25 minutes stirring often until sauce is thickened and reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Using a blender, puree the sauce.
Note: Sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
Preheat the grill to high.
Remove the ribs from the pot, pat dry, season with salt and pepper and brush liberally with the sauce. Grill, turning often, until charred on the outside, about 8 minutes. Loosely tent the ribs with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve extra sauce on the side for dipping.
Recipe and photos reprinted with permission of Chef David Lawrence.
First...
I've really enjoyed your page, and will definately try some of the recipes here!!
Now..to this Rib Recipe. The sauce sounds like so many old southern "RC Cola" or "Dr. Pepper" based sauces...but, Iv'e got to say it... nooobody in their right mind would parboil Ribs!!
It is a Culinary Crime...and way below a man of your obvious talents!!
Now...stop it..lol!!!
Evans
Just as a follow up...
Great to see you're an "Egger"!!
I've been cooking with Eggs for about 6 years now...Now have 3 of them..and love'm!!
I use one of my Large Eggs pretty much... just for baking!
Im going to try your BlueBerry Scone recipe on the Egg as a matter of fact!
Evans
Hi Evans, I am a card-carrying cult-following "Egger!" I scratched my head too on the parboiling.. I'll encourage David to defend his honor on that one. I will say that his recipes seem spot-on so I'll have to try this before passing judgement. But I will tell you that I would roll these ribs on the grill first, then slow-cook and baste on the Egg... That's how I make all my ribs, no matter what the sauce or seasoning. Being from California, the Cola sauce was new to me and I thought it fitting with July 4th around the corner! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for visiting the site!
PS - I am ashamed to say I haven't tried baking on the egg yet - but your idea to do the scones is a great one!
Oh my gosh! This looks AND sounds amazing! I love the sauce recipe and it looks great...but I've never been a fan of ribs. This looks so good that now I'll have to buy some ribs just to try it out. :) I bet this would be killer on chicken or pork loin. Yum! Thanks for the great sauce recipe!
I author a blog on Coca-Cola history and popula culture. I saw this recipe a few weeks ago and saved it to post on my blog. If you have a chance, take a look at the site and the recipes that readers have shared with us over time. The rib recipe is perfect for the Summer. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Laura!
I'm drooling over those ribs!! Any advice on what'll be the procedure if I parboil then oven-bake it instead of grill? I live in a tropical country and it's storming like crazy out here! Thanks in advance!
Cha
David,
These are the best RIBS ever!! I have made this recipe 3 times now and continue to impress my friends. Hands down this is the most stress-free way to serve amazingly delicious tender ribs that will fall off the bone every time. I actually don't make the sauce. It takes the longest to make and my husband said it is too sweet, But these RIbs are Killer!!!!!
Will this work with beef ribs?