In Treasure Island, the ship’s crew doesn’t call Long John Silver “Barbecue” for nothing. As the ship’s cook, he’s a wizard in the galley, transforming rations of dried pork and salted beef into delicious fare. This sweet ‘n spicy rack of Caribbean ribs is just the sort of entree Long John would make for the crew of the Hispaniola…and what’s dinner without a little rum? 😉
P.S. The recipe I used is my own variation on a recipe I found here.
Barbecue’s Rum-Soaked Ribs
” ‘He’s no common man, Barbecue,’ said the coxswain to me. ‘He had good schooling in his young days and can speak like a book when so minded; and brave—a lion’s nothing alongside of Long John!’ “
— Treasure Island
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lb spare pork ribs
- To season, you’ll need: 1 tbsp jerk seasoning, 1 cup spiced rum (I used Sailor Jerry, since it’s the favorite of a rum aficionado friend of mine. Plus, the name couldn’t be more fitting!)
- And for the sauce you’ll need: 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup spiced rum, 1 tbsp jerk seasoning, 1 tsp key lime zest, 2 tbsp key lime juice, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves
Makes 4 servings
INSTRUCTIONS:
- To start, pat your ribs dry with a paper towel and rub 1 tbsp jerk seasoning all over ’em.
- Pour 1 cup spiced rum in a baking dish large enough to accommodate your ribs. Place the ribs in the dish and turn them over once to coat. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 1 hour, making sure to flip the ribs every 15 minutes.
- While the ribs are marinating, you can whip up your sauce! Pour your remaining ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes (it’ll thicken a bit). While it cooks, stir it every once in a while to keep the texture smooth.
- When your ribs are done marinating, fire up your grill and set it on medium. Pour 1/4 cup of your sauce into a small bowl and reserve the rest. Place your ribs on the grill and brush each side with a very thin layer of sauce from the small bowl.
- Get a good sear on the top, then the bottom of the ribs. Turn the heat down to medium-low and grill for 40 minutes with the lid down. For even cooking and maximum sauciness, flip your ribs every 10 minutes and coat your ribs with another thin sauce layer at the 20 minute mark.
- It’s all ready when the ribs are tender and brown, with the meat shrinking away from the bones.
- Serve while working in the galley with Long John in Treasure Island! 🙂
Here’s the Yummly printable!
Ingredients
- 2 lb spare pork ribs
- To season, you'll need: 1 tbsp jerk seasoning, 1 cup spiced rum
- And for the sauce you'll need: 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup spiced rum, 1 tbsp jerk seasoning, 1 tsp key lime zest, 2 tbsp key lime juice, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves
Instructions
- To start, pat your ribs dry with a paper towel and rub 1 tbsp jerk seasoning all over 'em.
- Pour 1 cup spiced rum in a baking dish large enough to accommodate your ribs. Place the ribs in the dish and turn them over once to coat. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 1 hour, making sure to flip the ribs every 15 minutes.
- While the ribs are marinating, you can whip up your sauce! Pour your remaining ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes (it'll thicken a bit). While it cooks, stir it every once in a while to keep the texture smooth.
- When your ribs are done marinating, fire up your grill and set it on medium. Pour 1/4 cup of your sauce into a small bowl and reserve the rest. Place your ribs on a gas grill and brush each side with a very thin layer of sauce from the small bowl.
- Get a good sear on the top, then the bottom of the ribs. Turn the heat down to medium-low and grill for 40 minutes with the lid down. For even cooking and maximum sauciness, flip your ribs every 10 minutes and coat your ribs with another thin sauce layer at the 20 minute mark.
- It's all ready when the ribs are tender and brown, with the meat shrinking away from the bones.
- Serve while working in the galley with Long John in Treasure Island!
You, seriously, had me at ‘rum soaked’. Holy moly, what a fabulous and different way to make ribs!!
Thanks! I knew it wouldn’t be Treasure Island without an “ode to rum!” 🙂
These look delicious! Pinning.
Thanks! It was my first time making ribs on the grill. I was really happy with how they turned out!
I love the idea of adding spice rum
It definitely kicks things up a notch. I always feel like ribs don’t have enough sauce (I’m a sauce fiend), but the spiced rum brought so much flavor, I barely used the extra sauce!
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