Adapted from "Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland" by Tanya Holland © Chronicle Books 2014. Provided courtesy of Tanya Holland. All rights reserved.
Yield: 8 servings
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes (includes marinating time)
Ease of Preparation: Easy

Ingredients

Ribs:
  • Two 2-pound racks baby-back ribs
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons Jerk Spice, recipe follows

Wet Jerk Marinade:
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sliced red onion
  • 1/4 cup sliced jalapeno chile or 1 tablespoon diced Scotch bonnet pepper (stems and seeds removed)

Habanero Vinegar:
  • 1 habanero chile, stem and seeds removed
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar

Pineapple Glaze:
  • Two 6-ounce cans pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Pineapple Salsa:
  • 1/2 pineapple, core included, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1/3 cup diced jalapeno chile
  • 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Kosher salt

Directions

For the ribs: Remove thin membrane covering the back of the ribs. Coat ribs evenly with the Jerk Spice. Arrange in a 17-by-12-by-1-inch baking pan.

For the wet jerk marinade: Combine cider vinegar, water, tamari, canola oil, red onion and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Pour marinade over ribs. Cover baking pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Remove racks of ribs from marinade, and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

For the habanero vinegar: While the ribs come to room temperature, puree habanero chile with white wine vinegar in a food processor. Pour into a bowl. Brush ribs with the vinegar. Place the ribs on the rack set over the baking sheet. Bake until meat is well browned and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

For the pineapple glaze: While the ribs cook, combine pineapple juice and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until sauce is thick and reduced to about one-third, about 20 minutes.

For the pineapple salsa: Combine pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, bell pepper, cilantro, canola oil, lime juice and salt to taste in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Turn broiler to high. Brush glaze generously on ribs and broil until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve with pineapple salsa.

Jerk Spice

"Brown Sugar Kitchen: New-Style, Down-Home Recipes from Sweet West Oakland" by Tanya Holland © Chronicle Books 2014. Provided courtesy of Tanya Holland. All rights reserved.

Yield: About 1/2 cup
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground allspice
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons cascabel or ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


    • Directions

    Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, salt, nutmeg, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper in a small bowl. Store extra spice in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.

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    Published 11/18/2020