Sweet, Spicy, Smoky Raspberry Chipotle Ribs Recipe

Slathered in barbecue sauce and cooked until fall-off-the-bone tender, ribs are the quintessential messy summer meal. A great rack of ribs is a little more complex than a simple slap on the grill, though, usually requiring a 3-2-1 method that takes hours of precise cooking technique. The results are well worth the wait, especially for thick and juicy baby and beef back ribs.

This recipe, brought to us by developer Michelle McGlinn, is a little more straightforward, with the ribs simply going into the oven for a long 4 hours to steam, brown, and caramelize into tender pieces of beef. The hardest part is the wait — a true trust fall, these ribs require total cover for the entire 4 hours (so no peeking). And if the juicy, beefy, smoky dry-rubbed ribs weren't enough, the raspberry-chipotle barbecue sauce glazed on top will make this one of your favorite meals of the year. Made with fresh berries and chipotles in adobo, the sauce is altogether sweet, smoky, and spicy, pairing with the beef for a uniquely layered flavor that screams summertime, but can of course be enjoyed all year round.

The first thing you will need to grab is a rack of ribs. For this recipe, we recommend beef back ribs, which are large, thick ribs with massive bones, not to be confused with short ribs, which are sold as large, meaty individual ribs. A typical rack will be around 5 pounds, or about nine ribs. Because of their size, you will only need two to three ribs per person. From there, you will need to grab garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder. Ancho chili powder is smokier and earthier than standard chili powder, but can be swapped in a pinch. For the barbecue sauce, grab a pint of fresh raspberries, chipotles in adobo sauce, garlic, brown sugar, corn syrup, vinegar, and olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 275 F.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, combine ancho chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Place ribs on foil.

Rub with seasoning mix, coating ribs completely.

Add a second piece of foil and firmly wrap the ribs, sealing them completely in foil.

Flip the foil packet so that ribs are bone-side up.

Bake for 4 hours, until completely tender.

In the meantime, make the barbecue sauce. Add all barbecue sauce ingredients to a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Bring to a simmer and cook until thick, about 10-12 minutes, crushing the raspberries with a spatula. Stir constantly to avoid burning.

Let cool slightly, then strain, if desired.

To finish the ribs, slice and brush with barbecue sauce.

If only fresh fruits were in season year-round, right? Raspberries are in season from roughly June until September, and are usually sold in stores throughout the year regardless of seasonality; however, they can come at a price or be hard to find at all, and even when you do find them, they might not be of most desired ripeness or flavor. And the truth is, these ribs are even better in winter, paired with cozy and comforting mashed potatoes and warm winter vegetables.

Whether you freeze your fresh raspberries for winter eating or buy frozen bags for smoothies, the frozen versions can be used in place of fresh for this sweet-and-smoky barbecue sauce. To do this, simply thaw the raspberries first, using a colander to drain any excess water. Once thawed, continue with the recipe as written. And if you want to switch up the fruit, try blackberries, cherries, or even blueberries instead, which can all be thawed from frozen and cooked down to a jam (just remember to pit the cherries first).

Though pork is the more popular rib option, especially for summer grilling, we chose beef ribs for this recipe to compliment the sweet, smoky flavors of the dry rub and sauce. The bright barbecue sauce melts into the savory meat, both balancing the beefyness of the ribs and mellowing out the sweetness of the fruit. Pork is a milder meat, so if you opt for pork ribs, the barbecue sauce will be a more forward flavor.

To make this recipe with pork ribs, first choose a cut: spare ribs, baby back, or St. Louis. Set the oven to 250 F as written, dry rub, and wrap the ribs in foil. Then bake spare ribs for 3 ½ to 4 hours, baby backs for 3 to 3 ½ hours, and St. Louis for 4, brushing the barbecue sauce onto the ribs halfway through. You can also make this recipe with pork shoulder for raspberry-chipotle pulled pork: Dry rub the pork shoulder and roast in a deep baking dish at 450 F for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 250 F and roast low and slow for 6 to 8 hours. Serve drizzled with raspberry-chipotle barbecue sauce.