Hawaiian Ribs — The Patio Was Warm and the People Were All Home

Diego is home for the summer. He is between his freshman and sophomore years at CSU. He has gained another four pounds — he is up to one-ninety-six — and he looks the part of a Division One college receiver. He moved back into his old room Friday. The twins lost their minds. Lisa cried. Sofia hugged him without complaint. The first week back was full of the joy of having him in the house again.

He has been at the school every morning for the strength program with the high school team. He volunteered as an assistant coach again. The kids on the team — most of whom remember him from the championship year — treat him with a level of reverence that I do not entirely think he has earned but that is, by the standards of the program, fully appropriate. He has the ring on his finger. He has the catch on his resume. The kids see it.

Saturday I made green chile cheeseburgers for the family. Diego ate four. The twins ate two each. Sofia had one. Lisa had one. I had two. The patio was warm. The aspens were full. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Four burgers for Diego, two each for the twins — that kind of eating calls for a recipe that can scale with the crowd and still feel like something special. Hawaiian Ribs have been my answer to the big-appetite summer cookout for years: the sweetness cuts through the heat, the patio smell is everything, and there is something about ribs on a Saturday that says the summer is exactly where it should be. When the aspens are full and your people are all at the table, you want a dish that holds the moment — this one does it.

Hawaiian Ribs

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork baby back ribs, membrane removed
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Make the marinade. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a low simmer for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting.
2. Season and marinate the ribs. Pat ribs dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Place in a large zip-lock bag or baking dish and pour the cooled marinade over them. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
3. Preheat your oven or grill. If using the oven, preheat to 300°F. If grilling, set up a two-zone fire with medium-low indirect heat.
4. Low and slow cook. For oven: wrap marinated ribs tightly in foil and bake on a rimmed sheet pan for 2 hours until tender. For grill: wrap in foil and cook over indirect heat for 1 hour 45 minutes.
5. Glaze and finish. Unwrap ribs and brush generously with reserved sauce. Return to a 400°F oven (or move to direct grill heat over medium-high) for 15–20 minutes, basting once more halfway through, until the glaze is caramelized and sticky.
6. Rest and serve. Let ribs rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual portions. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 980mg