Dad-Approved & Bourbon-Infused: Cardero’s BBQ Ribs Recipe

This Father’s Day, skip the store-bought sauce and go full-on flavour with Chef Jason Kleinfeld’s mouthwatering BBQ ribs from Cardero’s. Featuring a sweet-heat rub, sticky bourbon-spiked baste, and a low-and-slow method that guarantees fall-off-the-bone goodness, these St. Louis-style ribs are the ultimate way to show Dad some love—from the grill. —Vita Daily

Cardero’s BBQ Ribs

RIB RUB

• Brown sugar 3 tbsp
• Chili powder 1.5 tbsp
• Cayenne pepper 1 tsp
• Ground cumin 1 tbsp
• Smoked paprika 4 tbsp
• Celery seeds 2 tbsp
• Onion powder 1 tbsp
• Garlic powder I tbsp
• Ground black pepper 1 tbsp

Combine all ingredients together. Adjust to preference (i.e. add more cayenne if you like spicy, add more sugar if you like sweet).

RIB BASTE

• Ketchup 1 cup
• Molasse 2 tbsp
• Grain Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
• Honey 2 tbsp
• Apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp
• Apricot marmalade 2 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper season to taste
• Bourbon (optional) pour with your heart
• 40/44 St Louis side rib

Set your oven to bake just below 300 C (I like 275 C). Slow and low is what we are trying to achieve. This can also be done days in advanced, just cool properly and wrap with plastic until needed. Generously rub both sides of the ribs with the rub, set aside. Use a roasting pan that will fit the whole side rib. Place rubbed rib in roasting pan and rub half the baste all over your rib. Make sure the ribs are now facing up, they should be crescent shaped, so arch up. Add a half cup of water to roasting pan, this will allow the ribs to steam as well. Place a large piece of parchment paper over ribs before wrapping with tin foil. This will prevent the tin foil from sticking to the ribs. Place in oven and cook for 3 hours. Remove from oven, being careful when opening up the tin foil paper combination. With a pair of tongs gently lift the ribs to see if they are cooked. Allow to fully cool, this will make recooking or wrapping easier. Once cooled you can either recook in an oven at a high heat or place on a BBQ and finish them that way. When reheating, baste ribs again with BBQ Baste as little or as much as you want.