Chill and Grill Boneless Pork Ribs

or a flavorful Summertime pork infusion

This week let's keep this short and sweet, and a little bit tangy. Spring is in the air and while we are dodging raindrops around here, it is perfect weather to get out the grill. Nothing says Summer is coming like the smell of the grill, unless you live in my area then maybe it's the endless rows of construction barrels too. But let's stick with the happy signs today - the grill. We have been known to break out the grill in the Winter, amidst the snow and ice, but it isn't quite the same as a nice warm evening out back when you can lazily cook dinner in a light Spring breeze (until, of course, your stomach starts growling louder then the aforementioned lovely breeze). It just seems to slow things down and bring a certain amount of relaxation to the evening, and what makes it even better is if the prep is already done in advance - enter the marinade.

This recipe can easily be made the night before or the morning of so that the pork can soak leisurely and absorb all those delicious flavors, it pairs great with a tangy BBQ sauce or you can cook down the marinade recipe further (adding a bit more ketchup or tomato sauce) to thicken it for a similar purpose. It holds its own with flavor without the extra sauce, but some days you just want a bit more so go where your tastes guide you on that part. Here's how it's done:

Boneless Pork Country Style Ribs
¾ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup ketchup
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic

1. In a medium saucepan bring the water to a simmer.  Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved.

2. Add the rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, onion, and garlic.  Stir to combine until smooth and bring to a simmer.  Continue to stir occasionally and keep simmering for about 5 min.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. In a deep dish pour half of the marinade.  Create a single layer of the pork ribs and pour the remaining marinade over top.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or for 6-8 hours. 

4. Remove from the refrigerator about 15 min before cooking (I usually do it about 5 min before firing up the grill since it takes some time to heat up).  Cook to desired internal temperature, we like ours medium to medium well, and if using BBQ sauce add it during the last few minutes on each side.