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Pendleton Whiskey Baby Back Ribs

May 28, 2015 by whiskey Leave a Comment


Pendleton Whiskey Baby Back Ribs came to mind when I was checking out the Pendleton Barbeque Sauce at Amazon.com.  I took a leap of faith and invested in a bottle of Pendleton BBQ Sauce so that I could let our fans and readers know how we rated the taste and flavor.  Memorial Day was around the corner so I figured that this would be a good time to give the sauce a try.

It was Sunday, May 24, 2015 and after finishing a light breakfast of Cinnamon-Raisin bread with Bladnoch Whisky Marmalade, I got the charcoal grill fired up for a day of grilling.  As I waited for the charcoal to heat up, I pulled out the baby back ribs from the refrigerator so that they could come to room temperature.  I retrieved the required pork rub and apple cider vinegar from the pantry.  I also pulled out my trusty rib rack.

Pendleton BBQ Sauce
Pendleton sauce, rub, apple cider and ribs
The foursome w/trusty rack and brush

I thoroughly washed and cleaned off the ribs.  I also removed the membrane from the ribs underside.  I pierce the underside (where the membrane was removed) with a fork to allow the apple cider and rub to penetrate.  I applied approximately 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the underside of each slab of ribs.  I flipped the ribs over and applied 2 tablespoons to the meaty side and massaged in the apple cider vinegar.  I also applied the rub to each slab of ribs to the desired amount (light rub to a rub crust).

Pierced rubs for rub and vinegar
Rub and vinegar applied

I lightly covered the slab of ribs with cling wrap and then checked on the heat level of the grill.  Since I use a charcoal grill without a thermometer, I gauge the heat using the hand test at a distance of approximately 5 inches from the grill top.  I should be able to hold my hands over the heat for 5 to 7 seconds which should be around 350 – 450 degrees; however, if I’m able to hold my hand there for 8 to 10 seconds the coal temperature should be around 250 – 350 degrees.  I was able to hold my hand there for about 7 seconds which is a medium heat for my grill.

Due to the thickness of the baby back ribs I was looking for a slow cooking time of 2 to 3 hours at a medium heat.  I positioned the ribs in the rib rack
and placed the rack on the grill.  I decided on a direct heat for the ribs and closed the lid.  Keep in mind that the cooking time can lengthen if you have to add more charcoal every 20-30 minutes.  Every time I had to add more charcoal, I flipped the ribs over and basted them with the Pendleton Barbeque Sauce
.

Preparing to move to grill
Rack positioned on grill
Slabs brushed with BBQ sauce

Even when you start to see the meat pulling away and exposing rib bones, you are still possibly a long way from your ribs being done.  I have come across different methods (the bend, twist, popup, peek-a-boo, taste or toothpick test) for checking for rib doneness.  I prefer the bend test so if the slab only bends slightly I know that I need more cooking time.  If the slab is close to breaking toward the center you should have a fully cooked slab of ribs.  My slabs had a slight bend and I thought about cooking longer on the grill until I looked at my guest’s faces and saw a look of crazed hunger.  I decided, for my own safety, to finish the ribs off in my oven for an extra 10-15 minutes.

Sauce brushed slabs
Mesquite smoke inprogress
Grilled ribs…time to pig out

The ribs looked and tasted great with a smoky mesquite flavor and the sauce was initially tangy and sweet.

The Pendleton Barbeque Sauce reminded me of Bull’s-Eye Sweet and Tangy or Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce.    The Pendleton Canadian Whiskey is smooth and light with a tangy flavor on the palate.  It is a light sipping whiskey which is not overpowering.  Since the sauce had a sweet taste, I added cask strength bourbon to cut back on the sweetness of the sauce.  The bourbon tamed the sweetness and made the sauce even more palatable.

BBQ sauce helper

Please provide us comments on this article and let us know what you think.


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