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Perfect Autumn Apple Butter Ribs Recipe

Apple Butter Ribs

When many of us think of autumn, we think of apples. Apple pies, apple cinnamon drinks, and farm-fresh apples are all staples of fall. Why not bring the alluring and delicious taste of autumn into your grilling? This delicious recipe will teach you how to make a great apple butter barbecue sauce with your very own homemade apple butter to go on incredible fall-off-the-bone ribs! Try it out and let this recipe become your new fall favourite!

Apple Butter Ingredients

  • 4 lbs of granny smith apples
  • 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 cups of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
  • ½ a pinch of allspice
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • A pinch of salt

General Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon of chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
  • Full rack of ribs
  • 1 bottle (18 oz) of preferred BBQ sauce
  • ¼ cup of apple juice

Making The Apple Butter

  1. Cut the granny smith apples into quarters, leaving in the cores and skin for flavour
  2. Add the vinegar, water, and apples into a large pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and let the apples cook for another 20 minutes on the lower heat
  3. Send mixture of cooked apples, water, and vinegar through a food mill and catch the mixture in a bowl
  4. Add ½ cup of sugar to the mixture for every cup of apple pulp
  5. Mix in the spices, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Make sure they’re integrated thoroughly.
  6. Cook the mixture in a pot on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning or a film. Cook until the mixture is dark brown, thick, and sticky (about 1-2 hours).

Making The Apple Butter BBQ Sauce

  • In a bowl pour one bottle (or 18 ounces) of your favourite BBQ sauce
  • Mix in ½ cup of apple butter and ¼ cup of apple juice
  • Stir until consistent

Rib Preparation Instructions

  • Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, dispose of it and set the ribs aside for later
  • Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder, chilli powder, and dry mustard in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
  • Take the dry rub that you just made and rub it liberally over the raw ribs, making sure to massage the mixture into the meat
  • Lather ribs in homemade apple butter bbq sauce, keeping sauce left over for later

Grilling Directions

  • Preheat your grill to medium heat (200 Fahrenheit)
  • Place your ribs on the grill, flipping them every 30 minutes
  • Continue to brush fresh barbecue sauce on the ribs when you flip them
  • Once the meat begins to pull away from the edge of the bones, take a fork and test the consistency of the meat.
  • The ribs are done cooking when the meat can be pierced easily by the fork and will move when the fork pulls it.
  • Take the ribs off the grill, let them rest for ten minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Looking for more reasons to fire up your grill? Check out our recipes page!

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