St. Louis-style ribs

There is little more gratifying than digging into a rack of succulent ribs. These St. Louis-style ribs are coated with a homemade barbecue sauce that has a hint of apple to it.

Preparation time: 10 minutes   

Cook time: 2 hours, 30 minutes 

Serves 8 

Quick tips: For a reduction in fat, swap out boneless ribs for the St. Louis-style used here. Eliminate the salt completely and add a squeeze of lime juice to the barbecue sauce. 

• 250 mL (1 c) apple cider
• 125 mL (1/2 c) bourbon
• 50 mL (1/4 c) apple-cider vinegar
•  50 mL (1/4 c) orange juice
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) canola oil
•  30 mL (2 tbsp) low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
• 12 g (2 1/2 tsp) salt
•  30 g (2 tbsp) dried thyme
• 1.25 kg (2 1/2 lbs) St. Louis-style ribs
•  300 mL (1 1/4 c) low-sodium barbecue sauce (see recipe below)

1. Mix together the cider, bourbon, vinegar, orange juice, oil, Worcestershire, salt, and thyme in a large ziplock bag. Pour half of the brine into another ziplock bag. Drop the ribs into both bags, press out the air, seal, and refrigerate for three hours, and up to overnight.
2. Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the brine and discard the brine. Let the ribs rest at room temperature for 15 minutes as the grill heats up.
3. Grill the ribs over indirect heat until browned all over, about 10 minutes per side. Reduce the heat under the ribs to medium-low (on a gas grill) or move the ribs to a low-heat area (on a charcoal grill). Cover and continue cooking over medium-low heat for two hours. Brush with the barbecue sauce during the last five to ten minutes of cooking.
4. Remove to a platter and let rest five minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: 391 cal, 18 g fat (7 g sat), 22 g carbs, 28 g protein, 1 g fibre, 98 mg cholesterol, 771 mg sodium, 63 mg calcium.

Most bottled barbecue sauces are loaded with salt. This recipe makes a sauce that's similar to bottled brands but lower in sodium thanks to low-sodium ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. It takes just a few minutes to stir everything together, then you let it simmer on low heat.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

 Cook time: 20 minutes 

Makes about 750 mL (3 c)

• 500 mL (2 c) low-sodium ketchup
• 45 g (3 tbsp) dark brown sugar
• 45 mL (3 tbsp) cider vinegar
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) yellow mustard
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
• 10 g (2 tsp) smoked paprika
• 1 g (1/4 tsp) salt
• 5 g (1 tsp) garlic powder
• 2 g (1/2 tsp) onion powder
• 2 g (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper

1. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one month.

Nutritional information per 15 mL (1 tbsp): 14 cal, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 3 g carbs, 0 g protein, 0 g fibre, 0 mg cholesterol, 37 mg sodium, 3 mg calcium.