Name: Jerk Baby Back Ribs With Pineapple Salsa
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 large red onion, cut into ¼-in/6-mm slices; ¾ cup (180 mL) soy sauce; ¾ cup (180 mL) vegetable oil; ½ cup (120 mL) apple cider vinegar; ½ cup (120 mL) water; 1 jalapeño chile, sliced; ½ habanero chile, stemmed and seeded; ⅓ cup (80 mL) white wine vinegar; Two 6 oz. (180-mL) cans pineapple juice; ¼ cup (50 g) firmly packed brown sugar; ½ pineapple, diced; 1 small red onion, diced; 3 small jalapeño chiles, diced; ⅓ cup (55 g) diced red bell pepper; ⅓ cup (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro; 2 Tbsp. canola oil; Juice of 1 lime; Kosher salt; 2 Tbsp. garlic powder; 2 Tbsp. onion powder; 1 Tbsp. ground allspice; 1 Tbsp. kosher salt; 2 tsp. grated nutmeg; 2 tsp. cascabel or ancho chile powder; 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper; 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; Two 2-lb (910 g) racks baby back ribs

Photo of jerk baby back ribs on a wooden plate with pineapple salsa.

Photo by Jody Horton

The first time I worked with jerk spices was in the late ’90s, when I was the chef at a Caribbean-influenced restaurant in New York City’s East Village. I think I first used it on chicken and then I started trying it on seafood, pork, and just about anything, as they do in Jamaica. I love the notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, sweet warming spices that most Americans don’t expect to find in their savory foods. The key to flavorful ribs is marinating them for at least 24 hours and cooking them slowly while continuing to baste them. As my father says, “You’d be a jerk not to love them.”

Recipe notes

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