Slow-Roasted Jerk Baby Back Ribs
- 2 racks Berkshire Pork Baby Back Ribs
- Kosher salt
- 6 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 Scotch Bonnet chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- Juice of 2 limes + zest of 1 lime
- 1½ tablespoons freshly ground allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Fresh mango, chilled, for serving
- Prep the ribs: Remove the membrane from the bone-side of the ribs and using a paring knife, score any large areas of visible fat, if any. Season each rack on both sides with salt. Place each rack on a large piece of aluminum foil, then on a rimmed sheet pan; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add scallions, garlic, Scotch Bonnet peppers, shallot, ginger, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pulse until very finely chopped. Add water, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, allspice, coconut sugar, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, black pepper, thyme, onion powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon; blend for about 45 seconds.
- Spread ½ of the marinade evenly over the ribs, on both sides. Wrap tightly in the foil. Place ribs in the oven and cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, unwrap, and slather with the remaining marinade. Continue to roast, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the meat has started to pull back from the bones and a nice crust has formed. Rest ribs for 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve ribs with chilled mango and lime wedges, if desired.
Recipe Tips: Use caution when handling Scotch Bonnet peppers. Disposable gloves are recommended. If you don’t have gloves, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling both the peppers and the marinade. Although we slow roasted these ribs in the oven with excellent results, you can also barbecue them over indirect heat in a charcoal or gas grill, just try to maintain 300 degrees F during the cooking process then finish them over direct flame during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Jamaican pimento wood chips are available online and will give a more authentic Caribbean flavor. If you can’t find Scotch Bonnet peppers in your area, you can substitute fresh Habanero peppers but the flavor and heat won’t quite be the same.
