Uncle Will's Ribs for a BBQ

What's Going on Today: Planning on Sunday bbq with the neighbors, waiting out the last of the heatwave indoors doing puzzles.

Naptime Goals: Marinate Ribs, make Strawberry-Raspberry Cobbler, catch-up on new magazines.

Tonight's Menu: Ribs (us), Mashed Potatoes (neighbors), Corn on the cob (neighbors), Fruit Cobbler (us), Wine and Beer (both)

Parenting Lesson of the Day: When kids have playdates it's hard to get them to concentrate on eating.

In New York we used to eat out with our neighbors and now, in the country, we cook out with them. On Sunday we were really excited to have a fun potluck style family bbq with our friends next door. Never mind that rain was in the forecast, the arrival of summer put us all in the mood for a casual get together where we could let loose and enjoy a cold beer.

Since none of us wanted to spend the entire afternoon cooking I chose to make my brother's ribs recipe since, as you all know, Uncle Will never lets us down. I also made a yummy fruit cobbler to use up the remaining fresh berries I had from last week's strawberry picking extravaganza. Our neighbors took care of some yummy sides dishes and food for the kids who did not eat ribs (mine included). When it was time for dinner we simply carried everything across the driveway, grilled up the ribs and enjoyed a great meal. 

I love making Uncle Will's Ribs because they are the epitome of summer flavor. When left in the fridge for the afternoon the ribs become infused with a light citrusy tang that lightens the meat without making it too heavy or sticky. Served with potatoes and corn it makes a great summer meal that begs to be paired with icy cold beer and eaten on the porch. Of course, we didn't actually get to eat on the porch since it did, in fact, rain, but no matter - there is always next weekend!

Uncle Will's Baby Back Ribs

8lbs lean baby back pork ribs

8 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Juice of 3 large lemons

1/4 t. oregano

1/2 c. lime juice

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

5 t. Kosher salt

2 t. olive oil

Cayenne Pepper

1. Cut ribs into 5-7 inch sections, rinse under warm water and pat dry.  Set in a large baking dish that will fit in the refrigerator.

2. In a large bowl add the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, olive oil and 1 t. of salt. Scoop out about 1/2 c. of the mixture and set it aside for pour over ribs right before serving.

3. Rub the remaining 4 t. of salt on the ribs. Pour the marinade over the ribs, cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

4. To cook the ribs, set the grill at low and cook them slowly, turning occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. Once they are cooked, increase the heat to high or place them directly over high charcoal heat to brown all sides. If you want a little extra heat when you serve them sprinkle on some cayenne pepper.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Serving Suggestions: This recipe would double or triple well making these great for a large cookout. They would be safe in the fridge marinating for up to one day, so feel free to prepare them in the morning before you leave the house if that is easier for you.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing the marinade takes about 15 minutes. Grilling time is about 30 minutes.

Naptime Reviews: This is always a crowd pleaser for adults and children, if they like ribs. Since mine does not she nibbled at some pasta and then got to distracted and went to play with her friends. Oh well.