Special Preview - Guy Fieri's Cuban-Style Grilled Spare Ribs with Mojo Sauce

Just in time for the weekend, here's a special preview of the not-yet-released grill recipe from Guy Fieri provided by the National Pork Board.

As you may know, I enjoy grilling pork from boneless pork chops to loins with bacon weaves, and I'm looking forward to trying out Fieri's spare ribs as well as his new barbecue sauces just out in 2011.

Cuban-Style Grilled Spare Ribs with Mojo Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri on behalf of the National Pork Board


Cuban-Style Grilled Spare Ribs with Mojo Sauce

* 8 pounds pork spare ribs, trimmed of excess surface fat, silverskin removed, cut into 5 or 6 slabs

* 2 tablespoons granulated garlic

* 1 tablespoon kosher salt

* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Mojo Sauce

* 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

* 1/3 cup fresh orange juice

* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

* 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

* 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

* 1 tablespoon honey

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to Make and Grill Fieri's Cuban-Style Spare Ribs


Preheat an outdoor grill for indirect medium heat. For a gas grill, remove cooking grates. Preheat grill on high. Turn one burner off. Place disposable aluminum foil pan over off burner and add 2 cups water. Replace grates. Adjust heat to medium (350°F). For a charcoal grill, place disposable aluminum foil pan on one side of charcoal grate; add 2 cups water. Build fire on opposite side, and let burn until coals are coated with white ash. Spread coals in grill opposite pan and let burn 15-20 minutes. Position cooking grate in grill.

Mix granulated garlic, salt, and pepper a together in a small bowl to make a basic seasoning mix (the bright, bold flavor will come later from the mojo sauce). Season ribs all over, rubbing seasoning into the ribs well. Arrange ribs over foil pan (a rib rack works great) and cover the grill. Grill, turning occasionally, until the ribs are nicely browned and the meat is beginning to pull away from the bones, about 1 1/2 hours. (For a charcoal grill, add 12 briquettes to coals after 45 minutes.) This gets the ribs nice and smoky for a great base flavor.

Carefully transfer ribs to a platter. Wrap each slab in a double thickness of aluminum foil. Crimp foil edges to seal packet. Return the ribs to indirect medium heat. (For charcoal grill, add 12 more briquettes to coals.) Cover and grill ribs until very tender (caused by steam in foil), about 1 hours.

Meanwhile, make mojo sauce. Process ingredients in blender into smooth sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning once more just before serving. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Return ribs to platter. Carefully unwrap ribs--the ribs will be very steamy and hot, so take care--and discard foil. (Ribs can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead at this point. Or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)

Prepare a hot fire in grill. (For a charcoal grill, build a fresh fire, let burn until coals are covered with ash.) Return unwrapped ribs to grill and cover. Grill, flipping occasionally, until sizzling, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer ribs to a carving board and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into individual ribs and place on a clean platter. Serve ribs with mojo sauce, allowing each guest to spoon sauce over ribs to taste.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Serves: 6

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories: 670 Fat: 34g Saturated Fat: 9g
Cholesterol: 275mg Sodium: 1210mg Carbohydrates: 7g
Protein: 78g Fiber: 0g

Guy Fieri Needs to Head on Out Here for Some NC Barbecue

Keaton's Should Be on The Must-Visit List for Guy Fieri - Don't Ya Think?

Doesn’t Guy Fieri have the coolest job around – hosting Diners, Drive-in and Dives? If you haven’t seen the show, he visits little eateries all over the country to get the best food in town (including barbecue). The show is not gourmet now. Fieri really does visit the little joints that draw the locals. So, if you’re looking for good stick-to-your-rib eats, you should check out the TV show and take some notes.

Guy has been out in California lately crowning the “Next Pork Personality.” Seems they had a pig grill off, and Kristina Vanni of Hollywood won with her Spicy Asian Pork Tenderloin with Pear Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Baby Bok Choy. What? Haven’t tried those yet? Well, you have to remember this is California barbecue we’re talking, so they do things different out there.

I am wondering if those pear mashed potatoes taste anything like the ones my sister made for Thanksgiving with applesauce. All I will say is that they did, indeed, look like mashed potatoes, but putting gravy on them was not such a great idea. It would rank right up there with gravy on ice cream which is about the only thing we don’t gravy up here in the South.

In any case, I’m glad that we have all kinds of barbecue all over this country and something to appeal to every palate. I'll have to get out to California one of these days and check out what they're doing in those parts.

Around here, of course, barbecue is pork served on a white bread bun with a vinegar based sauce. And, it’s some mighty fine stuff even if folks from other parts of the country often just don’t know what to make of pig pickin’ North Carolina BBQ with vinegar mop. Generally it grows on them, or I guess they move away – one or the other.

Then, there’s also Keaton’s Barbecue in Cleveland NC (sort of – really it’s in the middle of nowhere) which is chicken, and it’s barbi-fried. Yep. They fry it some way but not Southern with a thick coating and then they get it lathered up with a thin barbecue sauce that sinks to the bone. It used to be the thing to slip off from high school now and then and get some Keaton’s chicken, although I won’t confess to involvement or not in such truancy.

I’m sure it’s getting old out there in California what with the great weather and all, and I think Fieri needs to road trip on out here to North Carolina and dive some barbecue joints. Heck, he won’t even have to visit three states to get his cue. In fact, he might start a Hatfield and McCoy feud again if he doesn’t showcase eastern AND western style North Carolina barbecue. Yes. There is a difference. Just ask anyone who loves NC barbecue. And, then Guy really does have to round that out with Keaton’s chicken, because it’s just the best barbecue chicken ever.

If Guy needs some tips on NC barbecue, he can give me a call (-: I can hook him right up and also round up some camouflage pants and a ball cap if he doesn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. He can also practice saying “ya’ll,” although most people from other parts of the country just can’t manage to pull that off very well. Ya’ll know what I’m saying – wink.

So, any great barbecue dives from your neck of the woods that you think Guy needs to check out? If so, drop a comment. Maybe we can turn him on to some good ones. But, then we might have to wait in line at our favorite barbecue joint. Hum. Maybe you should just whisper in my ear and keep our secrets.