Recipe: Spicy Baby Back Ribs with Orange Glaze

Makes 4 servings

Marinade and Glaze

1 ½ cups orange or tangerine juice

1/2 cup Asian-style sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Ribs

2 slabs (2 pounds each) baby back ribs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1. In a glass measure, combine all the marinade ingredients. Remove half of the marinade and set it aside in the refrigerator. Place the ribs in a food-grade sealable plastic bag. You can fold the ribs or cut them in half to fit better. Pour the remaining marinade over the ribs. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Brush the cooking grates clean and oil them. For indirect grilling on gas grills, preheat all burners and then turn off the middle burner (if you have three) and turn the heat to low. The air temperature in the covered grill should be at a constant 250 to 275 degrees throughout the cooking process.

3. Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and let the ribs sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.

4. Place the ribs, meaty side up, on the heated grill away from the heat source. Close the lid and grill for about 2 hours (for whole racks). Check periodically that the heat is not getting too high or too low.

5. Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade that has been kept in the refrigerator in a small saucepan. Whisk in the Dijon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until it's slightly reduced and has a glaze consistency.

6. Check the ribs for doneness. The bones should start pulling away from the meat and the meat should be tender, but still hold together

7. Brush the ribs with the glaze and close the lid. Continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the glaze sets in. Glaze the ribs several times this way. The USDA recommends all pork products should reach 160 degrees. Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional glaze if desired.

(Note: If you are using a charcoal grill the USDA suggests piling about 50 briquettes in the center of the heat grate. When they are covered with gray ash, push them into two piles. Center a pan of water between the two piles and place the food on the grill over the water pan. The water prevents flare-ups that occur when fat and meat liquids drip on coals, and steam from the water helps destroy harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Close the lid and keep the grill vents open. Add about 10 to 15 briquettes every hour to maintain the temperature in the grill. Keep the temperature between 250 to 275.)

For additional rib, sauce and side dishes recipes: Dr Pepper and Bourbon Soaked Spare Ribs, Neely's Barbecue Sauce, Tamarid-Glazed Country-Style Ribs, Sweet Beans with Bacon and Maple Syrup and Spicy Cilantro Slaw go to Seattletimes.com/living