Ribs-1-4 Real jerk is made on the grill but it’s not always convenient.   I have a charcoal grill and sometimes it is challenging to get the fire going and up to temperature; this process can take anywhere from half an hour to an hour on a windy day.   I found myself craving jerk pork in the middle of the week and had no intention of firing up the grill so I made it in the oven.

Ribs-1  Since I have a 3 year old son, I had to reduce the heat a bit so I added a Tamarind Honey Jerk Sauce that had a touch of sweetness to counteract the heat from the Jerk seasoning.   The tamarind adds a bit of tang while the honey adds a touch of sweetness; I love the combination with the spicy jerk seasoning.  Cooking the ribs covered for 1 ½ make it fall off right off the bone!

Ribs-1-2

Jerk Ribs with Tamarind Honey Jerk Sauce

1 rack Baby Back Ribs(about 3-4lbs)

2 tbsp jerk seasoning

salt to taste*

Tamarind Honey Jerk Sauce

¾ cup tamarind pulp

1/3 cup ketchup

½ cup honey

1 ½ tsp Jerk seasoning

Clean ribs by rinsing under running water then pat dry with a paper towel.  Add jerk seasoning(and salt if using) to coat both sides and let sit for at least an hour, preferable overnight in the refrigerator.

Once ribs have marinated, place the ribs, meat side up, in a large baking pan and cover with foil.  Place into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 1 ½ hours.  While the ribs cook, make the Tamarind Sauce.

To make the tamarind sauce, place all ingredients in a small pot and cook until it has reduced by half.   The sauce should be as thick as BBQ sauce or ketchup.   Set aside.

When the ribs have cooked for an hour and a half, turn the oven up to 425 degrees.   Coat the ribs with half of the Tamarind Honey Sauce and place back into the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes.  Coat ribs with the remaining half of sauce then return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.   Remove from oven and allow the ribs to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting into individual pieces.

*I did not add salt since Jerk seasoning has salt added.