Athough the recipe for the slabs of ribs at Leon Finney’s Bar-B-Q restaurants in Chicago is a trade secret, the Tribune test kitchen tried to create a similar recipe. Here are the results.
CHICAGO-STYLE BARBECUED RIBS
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
4 slabs pork baby back ribs, 4 to 6 pounds total
Seasoned salt
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon each: seasoned salt, hickory-smoked salt
Hot pepper sauce to taste
Hickory wood chips
1. Generously sprinkle ribs on both sides with seasoned salt. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to let ribs come to room temperature.
2. Mix remaining ingredients, except wood chips, in medium-size non-reactive saucepan. Heat to boil; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
3. Prepare charcoal grill. Soak chips in water to cover for 20 minutes or more.
4. When coals are covered with gray ash, put ribs on grill rack at least 8 inches from charcoal. Cover and grill until ribs are golden on both sides. Add a handful of drained chips periodically to the charcoal to maintain a steady amount of hickory smoke.
5. Continue grilling until ribs are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Then baste one side heavily with sauce; grill until sauce is bubbly. Turn and baste second side with sauce; grill until sauce is bubbly.
Test kitchen note: For the best results, cook with only a moderate amount of charcoal so the grill is not too hot; the longer the ribs take to cook the better the smoke flavor will permeate the meat. Do not let ribs char.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 930 Fat ………… 62 g Cholesterol .. 245 mg
Sodium … 1,675 mg Carbohydrates .. 42 g Protein …….. 51 g
