These ribs are inspired by chicken wings at a now-closed brewery off my beloved Nelson 151 (I HIGHLY recommend a trip to Nelson 151 if you live within driving distance). This barbecue recipe is a bit different thanks to the tang of strawberries. If strawberries and jalapeno are not problematic for you, I recommend adding more of both. These ribs are delicious and they are actually pretty easy! It takes some time, but no step is difficult. The ribs pair very well with no-mayo potato salad.
I use three layers of foil – one to keep the cookie sheet free of mess and a backup in case another layer of foil tears, one that’s for the sauce phase and one for the rub phase. It’s important to seal the foil tight! A tight seal keeps the condensation inside, which gets absorbed into the meat and provides the fall-off-the-bone deliciousness.
To seal, lift the edges of the top two sheets of the foil away from the sheet pan. Starting with the foil on the long sides of the cookie sheet, raise the two layers of foil so they meet in the center and pinch them together. Check there is space between the top of the ribs and the foil. Fold foil at a point 1” from the edges where the foil meets. Slide your fingers down the entire length of the foil and fold as you go. Go back to the center of the foil where you started the fold, and fold the foil a second time; going the entire length of the foil. On the short ends of the foil, start at the end and fold/roll toward the center until the foil is completely sealed. Do not roll so much that you encroach on the ribs. Ensure the foil is sealed tight to keep in the moisture so you get the fall-off-the-bone deliciousness.
While the ribs cook, make the sauce and for a side, I suggest low Fodmap potato salad, fries or potato chips.
Low Fodmap Strawberry BBQ Babyback Ribs
Ingredients
Rub
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp smoke paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground mustard
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Ribs
- 1 rack babyback ribs, membrane removed
- 1/2 tbsp roasted onion olive oil see Notes for unrestricted eaters substitution
- 1/2 tbsp garlic olive oil see Notes for unrestricted eaters substitution
- Rub
Sauce
- 6 strawberries, tops cut off & cut in half
- 1 inch piece of jalapeno, sliced in half
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup low Fodmap ketchup see Notes for unrestricted eaters
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
Ribs Prep
- Mix all rub ingredients and set aside. Remove membrane (if present) from ribs.
- Lay three sheets of heavy duty foil on a cookie sheet. Sheets should be roughly 3'-0" long. (The third sheet is in case another sheet tears)
- Place ribs on the stack of foil and drizzle garlic and onion olive oils on the top and rub on the top of the ribs. See Notes for substitutions if you do not have Fodmap sensitivities.
- Apply rub mix to all sides of the ribs.
- Lift the edges of the top two sheets of foil away from the pan. Starting with the foil on the long sides of the cookie sheet, raise the two layers of foil so they meet in the center and pinch them together. Check there is space between the top of the ribs and the foil. Fold foil at a point 1" from the edges where the foil meets. Slide your fingers down the entire length of the foil and fold as you go. Go back to the center and fold the foil a second time; going the entire length of the foil. On the short ends of the foil, start at the ends and fold/roll toward the center until completely sealed. (See photos above for visuals.) I leave the bottom sheet of foil open; it's to prevent mess and a backup in case another sheet tears.
- Place one rack in the center of the oven and one rack just one rung below. Place the cookie sheet with the ribs on the top rack and cook for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Sauce
- Slice off the top of the strawberries and cut in half. Cut off a 1" piece of the jalapeno, cut in half and remove seeds.
- Lay strawberries and jalapeno halves on a non-stick cookie sheet (or line with foil or parchment paper) and slide on the bottom rack. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
- In a food processor, puree the strawberries and jalapeno.
- Add all sauce ingredients* to a sauce pan and place on the stove. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and stir occassionally. Allow sauce to simmer until it thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to apply to ribs. *See Notes if you're not Fodmap-sensitive.
Sauce & Ribs meet up
- Remove ribs from the oven and place on the stovetop. Set oven to Broil - High.
- Carefully undo the foil - be careful where you place your hands as you open the foil to avoid burst of hot air on the skin. Lift the top layer of foil with the ribs onto the counter next to the stove.
- Using two sets of tongs coming from either side of the ribs, carefully lift the ribs and lie them upside down on the foil-lined cookie sheet. Using a brush, coat sauce on the underside of the ribs. Using the tongs from both sides, carefully flip the ribs over and apply sauce to the tops and sides of the ribs. Apply your amount of desired sauce - you may have some leftovers.
- Place ribs back in the oven for about 4 minutes, or until the sauce starts to crisp up a bit.
- Remove ribs from the oven and enjoy! For Fodmap sensitivity, limit serving size to 4 ribs.
These are FANTASTIC – Love the sweet tang from the strawberry.