Hawaiian Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Since it's summertime and we're never sure how hot it will get, when it's not sizzling we love to take advantage of the cool and grill something wonderful. Last weekend the weather here turned cool again, perfect for grilling.

Ribs were calling out to us so off we went to the local market to buy some baby backs. We did have the time to let them marinate overnight, which is always better if you have the time. We've posted all sorts of flavors on ribs so we were looking for something completely different. We thought we were being original coming up with the Hawaiian theme but found there were hundreds of recipes already out there. Since we like to create our own recipes we looked at a few others then came up with our own version.

Even though we didn't have a fresh pineapple (too lazy to go back to the store...it was the weekend, after all) we would suggest you use some instead of canned. The canned is good; but fresh would be great! These ribs were really meaty and the flavor turned out to be wonderful! So here 'tis! A very quick and easy recipe for grilling baby backs:

The Big Kahuna's Baby Backs

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minsCook Time: 40-45 mins

Hawaiian Baby Backs in Marinade

INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2-4 pounds of baby back ribs8 1/4 ounce can pineapple chunks with about 1/2 the juice or preferably fresh pineapple
1 T molasses2 t crushed garlic1 t fresh ginger, chopped fine1/2 t Sriracha1 t soy sauce1/2 t lime juice zest of 1 lime1 jalapeno

PREPARATION:
1. Crush the pineapple in a small mixing bowl, add the other ingredients and mix the marinade. Set aside.
2. Wash the ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Remove the thin membrane on the underside of the ribs by slicing it with a very sharp knife and pulling it off using a paper towel. Trim excess fat to prevent flare-ups while grilling.
3. Place ribs in a large zip lock bag and pour marinade all around the ribs making sure to cover all of the ribs. Place bag on a casserole dish to catch any leaks and put in the refrigerator overnight. Two nights would be even better but we wouldn't go past three.

COOKING: (Anita's Tried and True Method on our Gas Grill)1. Heat the grill until the rack is hot enough to brand the meat. Place the ribs bone-side down and cook for 20 minutes, basting with the excess sauce and stopping flareups by moving them around.
2. Flip them onto the meat side and make sure the branding runs all across the meat by holding them against the grill. Less than 5 minutes total.
3. Put aluminum foil on the grill where the ribs will sit; then place them bone-side down on the foil. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes more or until they are cooked to your liking.
Remove the ribs to a cutting board, cut between them and serve with whatever side dish you favor. We suggest a hearty pasta salad, some grillin' beans, corn on the cob or whatever...

Bon Appetit,