COOKING with CANNABIS
Grilling Ribs
FIRE UP THE GRILL FOR MEMORIAL DAY by Chef Dana Howard
It ’ s May , and I don ’ t know about you , but I have been waiting for warm weather for months ! It ’ s time to get outside , enjoy some gardening , and that ’ s right , fire up the grill ! One of my absolute favorite outdoor things to do is grilling ribs . I have been practicing my technique for quite some time , and I think I have my favorite recipe down . My choice of ribs is always baby backs . They are easy to grill — don ’ t worry ; I will give you plenty of pointers .
As most of you know , I am from Kansas City , and we all know this city is known for a few special things — yes , our awesome football team , but especially for Jazz and world-class BBQ . A few other cities are known for their BBQ , but what makes KC BBQ special is that the sauce tends to be a little sweeter and thicker than others . It ’ s because we traditionally use ketchup and molasses in our sauce . You will also find a little smoky heat in a KC BBQ with a little bit of liquid smoke or smoked paprika added . You can also smoke or grill with your own sauce on the grill for a little bit to get that personal flavor . If you ’ re an experienced smoker / griller , you should be able to do this recipe with no problem .
So how do I do my grilled ribs ? I always do a dry rub on my ribs before I cook them . I switch it up between a few local brands , but I always just buy one that is premade . It ’ s easy , and they are always good . I have a pork rub that I am going to use on these . It has salt , pepper , garlic , and some other spices to give it a little kick . You can always mix your own with those spices and maybe add a little bit of chili powder or paprika — but be very careful because a little goes a long way with chili and paprika . It ’ s good to get the rub on the ribs and then let them sit at room temperature for a while . This allows all the spices to sink into the meat and helps to tenderize it . I let mine sit for about 30 minutes before I start the grill .
Grilling a rack of ribs is always fun . I have a propane grill , but you can absolutely do this with charcoal . Grab a roll of aluminum foil and get that grill fired up ! Once it ’ s really hot , about 400 degrees , then place your ribs on the hot grill racks to sear them . I do about five minutes on each side , but all grills are different so keep an eye on them . I like to get my ribs a little charred on the ends , and this is how I do that .
Once the ribs have been seared , I wrap them completely in the aluminum foil . You want to make sure they are wrapped well so that you don ’ t lose any heat through gaps in the foil . Then , I put the ribs back on the grill with indirect heat . If I am using my gas grill , I will turn the burners down to medium and set my ribs on the top shelf . If you are using charcoal , just take your coals and scoot them to one side of the grill while placing the ribs on the other side without the charcoal . You will need to rotate ( flip ) the ribs to make sure they cook evenly . I usually let them cook for about an hour on the grill with the lid closed . If you are using charcoal , you will probably need to add more coals occasionally . Also , this is a good time to throw in some wood chips if you want a little smoky flavor .
After an hour has passed , grab the ribs off the grill and let them rest covered in foil for about 10 minutes . Then slather my awesome KC style BBQ sauce all over them and enjoy !
Ingredients — Makes 3 Cups ! ½ cup of molasses ½ cup of apple cider vinegar ¾ cup of brown sugar 1 cup of ketchup 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes 1 Tablespoon of salt 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper 1 Tablespoon of smoked paprika 1 teaspoon of chili powder 1 teaspoon of onion powder 1 teaspoon of garlic powder ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon of ground mustard 2 Tablespoons of infused oil
The Method 1 . Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine . 2 . Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes . 3 . Allow the BBQ sauce to cool completely , and then transfer to a container of your choice ! 4 . Enjoy !
It ’ s time to get outside , enjoy the warmer fresh air , fire up that grill , and grill some mouth-watering baby back ribs . Careful , though ; the smell of BBQ may cause a large crowd of family and friends to gather in your backyard . Enjoy !
Chef Dana Howard is a Kansas City native and 15-year catering professional . Woman-owner and operator of Infused KC , a new catering concept that infuses world-class menus with CBD . Email
dana @ infusedkc . com for a custom menu when planning your event . Dana loves to cater anything and everything , including weddings ! To purchase Dana ’ s newly released Cookbook with the recipes as seen in this magazine , visit
www . InFusedKC . com , or ask for it at your dispensary .