Sweet Cola Ribs

Sweet Cola Ribs

Last week, Western GMC Buick staff had a barbecue to kick off the long Canada Day Weekend.  As expected, the main topic during the gathering quickly turned to "Favorite Barbecue Recipes."  So, our General Manager asked all departments to gather some of their favorites which we could share on our blog all summer long!

The first recipe comes from our Pre-owned Sales Department and if you're looking for something different on the grill, look no further, these sweet cola ribs will blow you away! 

Keep in mind, these ribs need to be prepped the night before!  But, the smoke and indirect heat leave you with deliciously tender ribs while the cola packs a punch of unexpected sweetness. A charcoal grill is recommended, but you can use your gas grill at a low temperature.

Tip: the secret is removing the fatty membrane from the ribs before cooking and glazing them to sweet perfection at the end of the grill time.


Sweet Cola Barbecue Sauce:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups ketchup
1 can cola
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add oil. Once heated, add the onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.


Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 racks pork spare ribs (about 3 pound each)

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

Rinse and dry ribs. Place on a clean cutting board, pull off the membrane and trim the ribs of excess fat. Liberally season both sides of the ribs with rub. Wrap ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours so flavors can permeate, (overnight for best results!)

Preheat grill to 250 degrees F. using hickory and charcoal. Set up your grill for indirect heat.
Place ribs, meatier side down, on the grill away from the coals. Close grill cover. Cook the pork ribs for 1 hour 15 minutes; flipping several times for even cook.

Coat ribs with Sweet Cola Barbecue Sauce and cook for another 20 minutes - don't forget to reserve some of the sauce for dipping when the ribs are served!

Keep an eye on our blog for other great barbecue recipes all summer long!

Western GMC Buick, We're Making Barbecuing Easy!