Mary Sue Milliken's Fennel And Herb Grilled Ribs
Chef Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill, Socalo and Alice B. says, “These are the best ribs I’ve made in a while. The trick is planning and patience. They benefit tremendously from curing with an herb rub for at least 24 hours. Then taking the time to roast the ribs on the barbecue with indirect heat and turning often while glazing with an aged balsamic vinegar makes them pretty much addictive.”
Milliken was inspired by a recipe from meat expert Bruce Aidells but “upped the amount of herbs and fennel seeds by three or four times.” The result is supercharged flavor.
Watch the video below — part of our Chef That! series — to see how Milliken puts together the ribs.
Watch chef Mary Sue Milliken of Socalo and Border Grill up the herbs and spices for maximum-flavor grilled ribs.
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Season the pork rack generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and set aside.
Make the rub by combining the fennel, paprika, crushed red pepper, sage, rosemary, thyme and garlic with enough olive oil to barely bind the mixture together — it should be like a paste. Smear the herb rub over the entire surface of the ribs, then place on a rack-lined baking sheet uncovered in the refrigerator to cure for 24 to 48 hours. Bring back to room temperature before roasting.
Set up your gas or charcoal grill for indirect cooking and heat to 300 degrees. Wrap the pork ribs in foil and cook over this mild, indirect heat, turning occasionally, until the meat barely begins to pull away from the bone, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat.
Collect any juices from the foil into a cup and add the balsamic vinegar. Brush all surfaces of the ribs with the sweet balsamic vinegar and cooking juice mixture, then brown the ribs over direct heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, reapplying and using up the rest of the balsamic mixture as you flip, turning frequently to avoid burning. Serve immediately.
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