Bourbon Heat Cajun Ribs

There are two schools of thought for ribs: they should be accompanied by traditional southern sides and eaten as part of a meal, or the ribs are the meal. The jury is still out on what I think, but with these ribs, it doesn’t matter (because the sauce sticks to everything you own).

Ingredients

2 cups store-bought BBQ sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s)

1/2 cup bourbon

1/3 cup Cajun seasoning, divided

1 rack baby back ribs (about 2 1/2–3 lbs)

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the BBQ sauce, bourbon, and 3 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250°F.

2. Rub the remaining Cajun seasoning firmly over both sides of the ribs. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and beginning to pull away from the bones.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 500°F. Brush the bourbon BBQ sauce generously and evenly over the top and sides of the ribs. Bake for 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and deeply caramelized.

4. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve with the extra BBQ sauce.

Notes

Inspired by Food Network.