Drunken Ribs

This year's Independence Day celebration was pretty simple. Some friends brought their kids over and we enjoyed a couple of drinks and my favorite recipe - drunken ribs. I don't get to make them often, but they're always a hit. And this year I tried something new, and it's worth the extra effort. So for that one avid RB reader out there, here's the basic process of making drunken ribs. You get to experiment with the quantities.

Season the ribs with Lawry's and pepper

In a pan large enough to hold your rack(s) mix the following:

• 2 or 3 cans cheap beer (Coor's Light is a favorite)
• Vinegar
• This morning's left over coffee (it's a great tenderizer)
• Several glugs of whiskey (smooth and cheap is fine, but stronger flavor will definately be tasted)

Place the ribs in the pan and pour enough beer (water works in a pinch) to just cover them and let sit for a few hours.

Heat the grill to medium heat (or indirect if using charcoal). Baste the ribs with the marinade. (Here comes the new part) Using a turkey injector, inject the very meaty parts of the ribs with the marinade. Repeat the basting and injecting for as long as the ribs cook. Cover in BBQ sauce towards the end of the cooking. It's best if you increase the heat so that the sauce burns just a little bit.

And now for the sauce. What good are ribs if the sauce isn't any good? Again, you get to figure out the quantities, because I don't believe in measuring.

Dice 2 onions
Brown onions in pot with some olive oil until tender and golden
Reduce heat and add several glugs of Jack Daniels. Cover and simmer for several minutes
Add:

• 1 can tomato paste (or ketchup)
  
• yellow mustard (until the mixture turns somewhat orange)
• dry mustard
• cayanne pepper
• worcester sauce
• brown sugar
• vinegar

Cover and allow to simmer for as long as possible.

When made properly, this sauce lands right in the middle of all of the Southern styles - tomato based, mustard based, vinegar based, and sweet. It's zingy and sweet with just a little kick. The Jack (only substitute other strong-flaovred whiskeys such as Jim Beam, Southern Comfort, etc. but not something smoother like Wild Turkey) adds some sweetness and a unique flavor.

I'd love for someone else to try this. If you ever do, please let me know if you like it as much as I do and my friends claim they do.