Bourbon Barbecue Ribs

Bourbon Barbecue Ribs 4 lbs side or back ribs For the dry rub 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp dry mustard 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp oregano 3 tbsp paprika (or smoked paprika) 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg For the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce 3 tbsp olive oil 6 cloves minced garlic 1 medium sized red onion , roughly chopped 1 cup plain tomato sauce ½ cup ketchup ½ cup apple cider vinegar ½ cup orange juice ½ cup bourbon whiskey (Use rye whiskey if you prefer or alternatively, apple juice) 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup honey 1 tbsp hot sauce 2 tbsp paprika (or smoked paprika) 1 tbsp oregano 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg Mix together all of the ingredients for the dry rub until evenly combined. Begin by coating your pork ribs with a dry rub and letting them sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Store any unused dry rub in an airtight container for next time. For the Bourbon Barbeque Sauce Begin my heating the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions have softened stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Simmer very slowly for about 30-40 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a brush-able consistency, stirring occasionally. Let the sauce cool for a half hour or so then puree the sauce in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Save any leftover sauce by bottling it in mason jars or freezing it in small airtight containers. You can cook the ribs very slowly on the grill for a couple of hours by using only one burner of your grill and cooking the ribs on the opposite side, not under the direct heat, turning occasionally. Alternatively, you can cook the ribs in a covered roasting pan in a 275 degree F oven for about 2 hours. Either way you decide to cook them, finish the ribs by grilling them directly over medium heat, brushing on the barbeque sauce and turning them after a minute or two. I like to do about 3 coats of the sauce on each side of the ribs. Remove from the grill and serve.