Peanut Butter and Root Beer Ribs

Source: Chef2Chef

This is where Disneyland meets Thailand. Mickey Mouse would travel miles to sup on these barbecued ribs. It's a two step process. You will need to marinade the ribs overnight and then add the magical sauce as it cooks. For the first time, try adding smoke and cooking half the ribs with only the marinade effect-no peanut butter & root beer sauce-and the other half with the sauce. This mild sauce produces a fascinating flavor. If you like heat or spice on your food, I'd recommend adding a rub to the ribs before placing them on the grill. The marinade and sauce also does a great job on chicken.

Method and Preparations
Make the brine-marinade and barbecue sauce the day before. Please consider using the Root Beer Rib Marinade listed below with about 4 baby back pork ribs (about 4 lbs). The ribs should marinate in it for at least 24 hours. Cook the ribs over a low indirect heat and consider adding smoke from your favorite wood chips. Soak the wood chips for at least 2 hours.

Root Beer Rib Marinade
You want ribs...Then you want to use this marinade overnight. Give it time, like 1 to 3 days. Try this marinade with the Peanut Butter and Root Beer Ribs recipe found next. This makes enough to cure and flavor about 4 baby back pork ribs (about 4 lbs).

2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 can root beer

Peel the garlic and gingerroot and then mince in an herb grinder. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Then turn it off and let the marinade cool. Wash and pat dry the meat. Brush on the marinade. Place ribs with remainder of the marinade in a large freezer bag for overnight, while visions of sugarplums dance your head.


Peanut Butter & Root Beer Sauce
1/3 onion
7 cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 can root beer
1/2 cup of your favorite peanut butter (add 1/4 cup later if you like more peanut flavor)
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. Honey
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce.
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne

BBQ Sauce & Cooking
In a food processor chop up the onion, tomatoes and garlic until it is pureed. Add all of these to a medium saucepan. Add remainder of ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Then stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Let it cool.

Remove ribs from marinade, cook on a low-slow heat (try one burner on medium or low to achieve a temperature between 150-225 OF). Use the indirect method, where the gas burner or briquettes are on one side and the meat is on the other. When you cook the ribs at around 150 OF it can take up to 2+ hours.

After one hour, open the lid, turn the ribs over and baste the top-side with the sauce. Return in 15 minutes to turn and baste once again. Continue turning and basting every 15 minutes, until almost done.

As the meat pulls away from the bone, towards the end of the cooking time, I like to add once more coat of sauce and then turn up the grill for direct heat. I crisp and brown the outside by cooking at high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on a side.