“Nip it in the bud!”
That is one of Barney Fife’s most memorable sayings.
I don’t know about you , but he is one of my favorite television show characters.
The Andy Griffith Show takes place in North Carolina and was my inspiration.
My friend Jathan Young and I have been having some great fun with a YouTube video called “Nip it,” (which I highly recommend) where some guy with way too much time on his hands made a video of Barney Fife saying “Nip it in the bud,” over and over.
Anyhow, this barbecue sauce is North Carolina style, meaning it is very vinegary and spicy. It warms your belly though, because of the whiskey.
The big thing is, barbecue sauces are all about balance: a sweet note (Dr. Pepper) set off by sour (vinegar) and a jolt of spice (Tabasco sauce), all of which thrive in a cloud of smoke (smoked paprika). You can see, although this recipe has certain prominent flavors, it is very balanced, which is important.
Have fun with this recipe, and improvise!
Barney’s Baby Back BBQ Ribs:
Ingredients
For the sauce:
1/4 t. salt
2 3/4 c. Dr. Pepper soda
1 1/4 c. ketchup
1/3 c. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. smoked paprika
1 1/4 t. black pepper
20 dashes Tabasco Sauce
1/4 t. allspice
1 T. bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 racks pork baby back ribs
Preparation
For the barbecue sauce, stir the salt, Dr. Pepper, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, black pepper, Tabasco, whiskey and allspice together in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how thick you like it. Allow to cool slightly and season to taste with black pepper and hot sauce.
For the ribs, preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a healthy amount of aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the aluminum foil and season heavily with salt and pepper.
Let the ribs cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Just before the ribs are done oven cooking, heat a grill to high heat. When ribs are on grill, slather with barbecue sauce, and cook on both sides until it gets a crusty, charred look about it.
When finished, slather with more sauce and enjoy.
Zeeland, MI —
