Recipe of the...Month?- Dr. Pepper Ribs

Okay, so I've been kind of MIA for a little while, and I am not quite keeping up with my whole "recipe of the week" idea.  Things have been a little crazy for the past couple weeks and I haven't done as much experimenting as I would have liked to.  I won't post any recipes that I haven't tried before, so I'm going to revert to an oldie but goodie that I have tried several times since getting the book "Cook This, Not That" (by David Zinczenko) from my mom.  It's a great book if you're looking to eat somewhat healthy, but still want to try flavorful, fun dishes. 

Many of you have heard me rave about my new love, Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce.  I have used this mostly on ribs (in the book it suggests baby-back), but it can be used on pretty much anything that you like to put BBQ sauce on.

Dr Pepper Ribs

What you'll need:

2 racks baby back ribs

1 large (2 liter) bottle of Dr Pepper

1/4 cup salt

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

How to make it:

1 Place the ribs in a large baking dish. Pour in Dr Pepper to cover them, reserving at least 1/2 cup for the sauce. Add the salt and soak the ribs in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours).

2 Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the ribs from the liquid, dry them, and rub with the chili powder. Place them on a baking dish, add 1 cup of water, and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat nearly falls off the bone.

3 For the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until they're soft and fragrant, and add the ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of Dr Pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

4 Fire up the grill, and brush the ribs with sauce. When the grill is hot, cook them bone side down on a cooler part for 10 to 15 minutes. Flip them and cook until lightly charred and smoky. Remove, and brush on more sauce. Makes 4 servings

Per serving:

400 calories, 15 grams (g) fat, 1,140 milligrams (mg) sodium

Cost per serving:

$5.17