BBQ Ribs with Baobab Sauce

These ribs get their boost of flavor from a sauce made with baobab—an African fruit with a rather dry but antioxidant-rich pulp. I think baobab may be the next most exciting superfood. The dry, powdery fruit pulp has a tangy, lemon-like flavor that goes very well with barbecued ribs. You can use lemon juice or lemon zest (1 Tbs.) in place of the baobab powder, but it won’t have the same health benefits.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

2 lbs. pork baby back ribs
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbs. baobab powder
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced garlic
¼ tsp. black pepper

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. With your hands, pull off from the underside of the ribs. Separate it from the meat and bones if necessary with a knife. Wash the ribs and pat them dry with a paper towel.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, baobab powder, oil, garlic, and pepper. Mix well. You will use this mixture for marinating and basting.
4. Place the ribs in a Pyrex baking dish. You may need to separate them into 2 or more slabs. Spread half of the baobab sauce onto the ribs and cover with foil.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1–1½ hours.
6. Transfer the ribs to a grill. Over high heat, sear the ribs for 4–5 minutes on each side, basting regularly with the remaining baobab barbecue sauce.