Savouring Summer: Barbequed Ribs and Grilled Corn

I hope everyone's enjoying the last weekend of summer. For me, one of the quintessential foods of summer is fresh corn. And when you live in British Columbia, there is nothing quite like Chilliwack Triplesweet Jubilee corn. The name is no lie; these bright yellow beauties are crunchy and sweet as sugar. They can be hard to find in supermarkets, where the Peaches and Cream variety reigns supreme. You can always drive to one of the bright yellow "Sparkes Corn Barns" to load up though.

Summer also calls for outdoor grilling. I think the best grilled item to go with all that corn is barbequed ribs. When you really take the time to baste it with saue and let it caramelize and go crunchy, there is nothing else like it. Both dishes are simple to make, and extremely tasty. Give them a try while it's still warm enough to fire up that grill!

One more note: One of the unfortunate results of the closing of summer is the start of the busy fall season. And for me, that's back to work. I will continue updating (hopefully often) but a little less frequently. Keep an eye out for time and wallet friendly dishes in coming weeks.

Best Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back ribs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 recipe Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the racks of ribs in half crosswise. Rub the ribs, paying special attention to the meaty side, with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay the rib pieces meat side down in an 11 by 13-inch baking dish. The pieces will overlap slightly.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat begins to pull away from the ends of the bones and the ribs are just tender, about 1 hour. You can bake the ribs up to a day before and keep them refrigerated. Bring refrigerated ribs to room temperature about 1 hour before you grill them.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Grill the ribs, brushing them with about half the remaining sauce, until they're crispy and heated through, about 10 minutes. Move the ribs around as they grill, the sugar in barbecue sauce makes it easy for them to burn. Let the ribs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting them into 1 or 2-bone pieces. Put out the rest of the sauce for dipping or brush it over the ribs.

Classic Barbeque Sauce

1 cup water
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1 1/4 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat and whisk until smooth

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until thick.

Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Grilled Corn

Corn on the cob-however many ears you want to make

Peel back the husks without removing them and remove the silky threads. Cover the corn again with the husks.

Soak in cold water for 30 minutes

Grill 20 minutes (give it a quarter turn every 5 minutes) or until the husks char and you smell the sweetness of the corn.

Slather on some butter and dig in.

Ribs recipe adapted from Dave Lieberman and the Food Network
Barbeque Sauce recipe from Top Secret Recipes
Corn recipe and images property of beets and bites