BAKED BABY BACK PORK RIBS WITH CHIPOTLE IN ADOBO GLAZE (for eight as an appetizer, four as a main course)

For the basting sauce:

½ cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1-½ cups red currant jelly

10 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

½ cup low-salt chicken broth

4 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon allspice

3 racks baby back pork ribs (3 pounds total, do not separate the ribs)

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1. Preheat oven to 350*. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Sprinkle ribs all over with salt and pepper.

2. Press chiles through sieve into heavy small saucepan (see note below, discard solids in sieve). Add remaining ingredients to pan.  Stir to blend over medium heat until sauce comes to a boil.  Season sauce to taste with salt.  Transfer ½ cup of sauce to small bowl and reserve.

3. Arrange ribs, rounded sides up, on prepared baking sheet. Roast, basting with marinade every 20 minutes (do not baste during last 10 minutes of cooking), until ribs are tender and glaze is well browned, about 1-¾ hours.

4. Let the racks of ribs stand for 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil, then cut into ribs and serve with reserved sauce.

NOTE:  To puree canned chipotle chiles:

Place chiles and adobo sauce in a small strainer set over a small bowl or saucepan.  Because chipotles are soft, you can simply use a rubber spatula to mash them through the strainer into the bowl, leaving the skins and seeds behind.

 

adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, October, 2004