Honey and Ginger Father's Day Ribs

Howdy Doody and Howdy Daddys. Sadly, I had no Internet yesterday on Nantucket Island when I desperately wanted to post this rib recipe. Then you might have gone to the market, marinated your ribs, and been able to eat these succulent babies for dinner with dad tonight. But just because they're especially good for Father's Day, don't let that stop you from eating them on any other nothing special day. Maybe dad will like them even better when he's not expecting them. The Quiet Man was swooning over the juicy ribs on this month's Bon Appetit cover, the inspiration for this recipe. The ingredients are slightly different, but the technique is the same. The Bon Appetit ribs called for no pre cooking, just 16 minutes on an open grill followed by 16 more minutes with the grill closed. Easy enough and so so so fantastic.

On this Father's Day, I'm in upstate New York with the charges, visiting the Quiet Man's parents. The Quiet Man himself flew straight home from Nantucket to put his noble nose back to the grindstone. On Monday, the Quiet Man's sister and her children (plus me and mine) will pile into her minivan and drive out west. (Her husband just finished medical school in Vermont and is starting a residency in Tucson.) We plan to survive on sour cream and onion Pringles, bottled water, Oreos, read-alouds of Harriet the Spy, my rubic's cube, the cousin's Star Wars DVDs, and lots of meaningful conversation. I think we can make it.

Give your dads a big hug and kiss today, and I'll send this one virtually to my Quiet Man. Happy Father's Day.

Money Saving Tips: Buy and freeze ribs when you can find them on sale. Most stores have rib sales right before summer holidays. (Albertson's does two for ones.) You can use fresh garlic, but it can get bitter on the grill if charred.

Honey and Ginger Ribs:

Estimated Cost: $8.00

Notes: Watch the grill closely in the last few minutes, or they might get a little too done, like one of ours.

1 rack baby back pork ribs, cut into 2 inch sections

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons garlic powder

juice of one lime

Cut the slippery silver fat from the ribs carefully. In a small bowl, combine honey, sugar, salt and pepper, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Rub onto ribs and place in zip top bag to marinate for at least one hour and up to overnight. Preheat grill for medium hot cooking. Grill ribs for 8 minutes per side with the grill open. Close grill and grill ribs for an additional 8 minutes per side (32 minutes total). Squeeze lime over ribs before serving.

Next Up:

Those Best Ever Lemon-Blueberry Muffins