Barbecued Ribs with Sweet Tomato Jam

Did someone say, RIBS?!

Ribs are Tasty. Ribs are Juicy. 

Ribs are the perfect addition to your weekend menu. No matter what the time of year, everyone loves ribs. They are always a welcome addition to any family gathering. 

Ribs Are Delicious

The thing that people love most about ribs is their scrumptious taste. 

There is simply nothing like the sweetness of perfectly seasoned and glazed ribs. The finger-licking flavor always gives a group a wonderful reason to gather and celebrate. 

It's all about that juicy, tender, and sweet barbecued flavor. Ribs really are the perfect hit to impress your family and friends, on any occasion.

What Kind of Ribs To Buy

Before you heat up your oven or grill, you need to make certain you have the perfect cut of meat to start with. There are several different types of ribs.

Types of ribs:

• Baby Backs Ribs- These small ribs pack a punch. They come from the belly area of the pig. They are lean, yet they still have lots of meat between the bones. Their size allows them to cook more quickly than other ribs. You’ll need to buy more of these ribs for a large group because they are small. 

• Spare Ribs-These ribs come from the underside of the pig. These ribs contain succulent and porky meat. These taste great with many sauces. When purchasing, make sure that they are pinkish-red in color and have some marbling. 

• St Louis Style Ribs-These ribs are uniform in shape, so they are simple to work with. They have less meat on them than baby back ribs, but they are nice and fatty. They are flat and juicy, and cook evenly.

Always ask around for a well respected butcher in your neighborhood, to ensure the best cuts of rib. You want to find the best, cleanest cuts of meat possible. Do some research. 

Tip: Many people opt for St. Louis-style ribs. There is a higher amount of fat on them, which makes them more satisfying and flavorful. 

Sweet and Savory

Speaking of St Louis-style ribs….

The folks at TBJ Gourmet have come up with a St. Louis-style rib recipe that is so juicy and truly mouth watering. It features their Savory Tomato Jam in a delicious way.

(*there are so many tomato and tbj bacon jam uses - be sure to also buy tbj classic bacon jam!) 

You also can feel good about TBJ’s purpose: 

“TBJ’s delicious Savory Tomato Jam is a collaboration with Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization. The goal of Abundantly Good, a Philabundance brand, is to take surplus farm products and upcycle them into quality products for those in need. This allows us to uplift our clients through better food, uplift farmers through economic opportunities AND engage socially-conscious consumers in Philabundance’s mission to drive hunger from our communities today and end hunger forever. $1 from every jar sold goes toward the production of upcycled food that Philabundance provides for free to its clients!”

Serving Sides

Your ribs want a date! Pair your delicious ribs with a variety of side dishes for a complete meal - and have plenty of napkins on hand! (*recipe to-die-for, below) 

Fabulous sides to serve with your ribs

• Sliced carrot and celery sticks
• Potato salads
• Green salads
• Seasoned fries
• Macaroni salad
• Corn bread
• Corn pudding
• Coleslaw
• Warm biscuits

If you are wondering how to BBQ ribs the right way, or if you are looking for dinners with bacon, follow this gourmet savory jam recipe:

The Recipe

TBJ’s Barbecue Ribs with Tomato Jam

*We’ve adapted this wonderful recipe from Abrams Books

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of sliced bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 12-rib rack of St. Louis–style pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds/1.8 kg)
• 1 Cups of TBJ’s Savory Tomato Bacon Jam (the best tomato bacon jam to buy)
• 12 ounces (360 ml) beer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F (110°C). 
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; leave the remaining fat in the pan. (bacon makes everything better!)
3. Cut the rack of ribs in half and place the halves, meaty-side down, in the skillet. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 3 hours, or until very tender and cooked through.
4. For glaze topping: Place the rendered bacon pieces and savory tomato bacon jam in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and smooth. 
5. Transfer the glaze topping mixture to a saucepan and add the beer. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until reduced to a jammy consistency, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
6. When the ribs are cooked, uncover the pan and pour off any fat and juice (save this delicious cooking liquid for other uses if you like). 
7. Flip the juicy ribs over so they’re meaty side up. Evenly spread the savory bacon jam over the top of the ribs and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. 
8. Remove your low and slow ribs from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
9. Preheat the broiler. Broil the ribs until the top is bubbling and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. 
10. Let your slow cooked ribs rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Final Sweet Thoughts

While the taste of your ribs is the most important thing about your meal, presentation is important, too! 

Have fun with this!

Try playing up the barbecue theme with red and white checkered tablecloths. This works both inside and outside, in summer or any season. 

You can serve your ribs in many ways:

• Place your amazing ribs in cute country style baskets over seasoned fries
• Serve your ribs stacked up on individual wooden boards - with tiny bowls of sides/salads
• Show off your ribs on a simple white plate, letting the ribs shine - with a side of cornbread. 

Any way you serve it, you are certain to have a great meal or barbecue party.

We hope that you enjoy this tasty rib recipe from TBJ - the best ever barbecued ribs! 

Bon Apétit