I had an impromptu small gathering for the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo last night. Once I decided I didn’t feel like going out (allergies were killing me), I thought about what I could make in.
My main dish was inspired by simply seeing some baby back ribs at Wegmans that made me think about a sweet and spicy theme. I wasn’t sure whether it’d be grill weather, so I set the ribs up for a slow braise in the oven with the option to finish on the grill or in a broil. I covered them with a seasoning mixture by Spice Cave that works on pretty much anything. This one, “Land,” is a garlic base with some other simple flavors.
I covered both sides, added a little water to the dish, then covered tightly with foil and baked at 275 for about 2.5 hours.
This lets the meat cook and then break so it’s super tender and literally falls off the bone. Then, I took the ribs out to douse them in a finish glaze of Terrapin Ridge Farms’ Hot Pepper Peach Bourbon Sauce. This is a great sweet and spicy sauce that’s not too spicy.
I cranked up the oven to broil and popped the ribs back in to finish with a little crust to them. On the grill, I’d get em a little charred, but the rain came so I finished them in the oven. It’s ok, I always have back up plans!!
They came out amazing and were a big hit!! I definitely need to make these again and they were soooo easy!! To top them, I chopped up some fresh fixins of sweet corn, orange bell pepper, jalapeño, mango, and cilantro.
So pretty!! I added the chopped toppings and voila!!
To go with the sweet and spicy ribs, I made a great cocktail. I had the Charred Grapefruit Tonic by Bittermilk, some Grey Goose Vodka, and club soda.
Add one part of each, stir, then add ice, and I had a perfect cocktail for the Kentucky Derby/Cinco de Mayo evening. I garnished with cilantro, a slice of jalapeño, and mango. Man this was delish!!
A great dish and a great cocktail makes for a great evening!! Definitely try this pairing of sweet ribs and grapefruit cocktail at home! I had some other dishes to go along, but this was definitely the hit!
Eat, Drink, and Go! 