In the spirit of Juneteenth, we’re serving up a heap of some kind of wonderful! Our Sticky Strawberry Baby Back Ribs are inspired by traditional Korean sticky ribs but with a strawberry twist. This recipe is the best kind of foodie fusion! I’ll leave you thankful for lots of napkins! But, also grateful for our kith and kin who came before us. Because it is their freedom, which is our freedom, that today we celebrate!
Sticky Strawberry Baby Back Ribs
Juneteenth is my favorite holiday, and although it may not be an official holiday for folks outside of the black community, as far as I am concerned, it is signed, sealed, and delivered!
Juneteenth is right up there with Memorial Day because, unlike many American holidays, these two got their respective start born and bred in black communities across the United States of America.
What Is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a holiday started by newly freed African-American slaves nearly two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law on January 1, 1863, proclaiming, “that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free.”
Can you say jubilation? And this is why Juneteenth holds a special place in our hearts.
Why Strawberries?
The inclusion of strawberries has more to do with the color red than strawberries.
The color red symbolizes the ancestral blood of our enslaved matriarchs and patriarchs.
Red represents our past, present, and future endurance and continued perseverance. At its core, adding red-colored foods and drinks to Juneteenth represents the struggle slaves endured.
An interesting fact is that when slaves were freed, many celebrated by drinking red soda, an extravagance they hadn’t experienced during slavery.
What You Will Need To Cook Our Sticky Strawberry Baby Back Ribs:
Baby Back Ribs. I love baby back ribs, and I especially love Sticky Strawberry Baby Back Ribs because they’re easy to make. With the addition of the sticky sweet strawberry flavor, this is a one-Juneteenth recipe you won’t soon forget!
Balsamic Glaze. Onions. Rib Rub. Strawberry Simple Syrup. I brush my ribs with balsamic glaze because it does something wonderful to baby back ribs. I massage the rib rub onto the baby back ribs, then during the last thirty minutes of a three-hour of cooking, I brush on the strawberry simple syrup.
Strawberry Barbecue Sauce. If you haven’t had strawberry barbecue sauce, then you are in for a treat! Combine equal parts of your favorite barbecue sauce with an equal measure of strawberry preserves, and you are good to go!
What if I can’t find baby back ribs?
Baby back ribs are one of the most popular styles of pork ribs. But, depending on the time of year, you may find they are hard to buy or sell out fast.
You are welcome to swap baby back ribs for other cuts of pork ribs in this recipe. Just cook accordingly until your ribs are fully cooked through.
What temperature do baby back ribs need to be to be fully cooked?
USDA recommends that your pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
When you probe your meat to check the temperature, make sure you don’t touch the bone.
If your gauge touches the bone, it will read higher than the meat.
Insert it into a larger piece of meat and hold it until the gauge stops rising.
Does pork need to rest before you slice?
Pork is best when you remove it from the grill or oven and tent it with foil. Allow the pork to rest for 10-15 minutes. This keeps the juices in the meat instead of letting them drip out when you slice your ribs.
If you cut your pork right after it’s pulled off, it will dry out the meat. So always, whether it is a pork chop, tenderloin, or ribs, let the meat rest.
Storing Leftovers
These strawberry ribs store really well. Let the ribs cool a bit, then transfer them to an airtight container. Place the ribs in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat as you would like and enjoy.
You can also freeze any ribs you don’t plan to eat right away. Use a freezer bag or a vacuum sealer to lock in the meat. Freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw the ribs in the fridge the night before you plan to eat them. Then warm up in the microwave or the oven. If you choose to reheat in the oven, I recommend wrapping tightly in aluminum foil.
This will help prevent the ribs from drying out as they warm up in the oven.
Can I use frozen strawberries to replace fresh ones?
Go right ahead and use frozen strawberries for the strawberry glaze. You do not have to allow the berries to thaw; just toss them in the pan frozen.
It will take a bit longer to cook down, but you will get the same flavor.
Frozen strawberries are picked at their prime, so they are bright red, sweet, and delicious.
They’re like store-bought, but with a softer texture.
Since you are making a sauce with them, itis fine that they are frozen.
Sticky Strawberry Baby Back Ribs
*Note: double the recipe for two slabs of ribs.
Ingredients:
- 1 rack of baby back ribs
- 3-4 tablespoons of balsamic glaze
- 2 large sweet or yellow onions, cut the onions into thin rings
Dry Rib Rub Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the onions down the center.
- Combine the dry rib rub ingredients in a small bowl, and mix with a small whisk or a table fork.
- Rinse and pat dry a slab of baby back ribs. Brush the ribs with 3-4 tbsp balsamic glaze, then rub half of the rib rub on the bottom of the baby back ribs. Lay the seasoned side of the baby back ribs onto the sliced onions, and rub the remaining rib rub onto the top of the ribs.
- Place the ribs in a 350° preheated oven on the center rack; cook for 2 1/2 hours.
- After 2 1/2-hours, brush the ribs with the strawberry simple syrup mixture and continue to cook the ribs for the remaining 30-minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and brush them with the strawberry barbecue sauce. Allow the ribs to rest for 15 minutes.
- Serve with strawberry barbecue sauce.
Strawberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, divided
- 1 cup raw or granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Remove the green stems from the rinsed, picked strawberries, cut half of the strawberries into quarters, cut the remaining strawberries into half slices, and set aside.
- Add the quartered strawberries, sugar, and water to a saucepan over medium-high heat and heat until the mixture comes to a low boil. Use a potato masher to break up the strawberries. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about ten minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and allow the mixture to steep for fifteen minutes; then strain the strawberry simple syrup into a Mason jar and screw on the lid. Set aside.
How to make Strawberry Barbecue Sauce
- 6-ounce bottle of hickory & brown sugar barbecue sauce, 1 jar of strawberry spread or strawberry preserves
- 6-ounce strawberry preserves
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce and strawberry preserves, then stir to combine.
Find more Juneteenth recipes to try below!
The Ultimate List of Juneteenth Recipes
Braised Smothered Pork + Black-Eyed Peas
Creamy Collard Greens with Bacon
Loaded Sweet Potato Herb Hummus
Ingredients
- *Note- double the recipe for two slabs of ribs.
- Ingredients:
- 1 rack of baby back ribs
- 3-4 tablespoons of balsamic glaze
- 2 large sweet or yellow onions cut the onion into thin rings
- Dry Rib Rub Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, and arrange the onions down the center of the foil.
- Combine the dry rib rub ingredients into a small bowl, and combine using a small whisk or a table fork.
- Rinse and pat dry a slab of baby back ribs. Brush the ribs with 3-4-tbsp of balsamic glaze, rub half of the rib rub on the bottom of the baby back ribs. Lay the seasoned side of the baby back ribs onto the sliced onions, rub the remaining rib rub onto the top of the ribs.
- Place the ribs into a 350° preheated oven onto the center rack, cook for 2 1/2-hours.
- After 2 1/2-hours, brush the ribs with the strawberry simple syrup mixture and continue to cook the ribs for the remaining 30-minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and brush them using the strawberry barbecue sauce. and allow the ribs to rest for 15-minutes.
- Serve with strawberry barbecue sauce.
Notes
Strawberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, divided
- 1 cup raw or granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Remove the green stem from the rinsed, pick over strawberries, cut half of the strawberries into quarters, cut the remaining strawberries into halve slices, and set aside.
- Add the quartered strawberries to a saucepan, sugar, and water over medium-high heat and heat unit. The mixture begins to come to a low boil; use a potato masher to break the strawberries apart. Continue to stir and cook the mixture for approximately ten minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat cover with a tight-fitting lid and allow the mixture to steep for fifteen minutes, then strain the strawberry simple syrup into a Mason-jar similar jar and screw on the lid. Set aside.
How to make Strawberry Barbecue Sauce
- 6-ounces bottle of hickory & brown sugar barbecue sauce1 jar of strawberry spread or strawberry preserves
- 6-ounces strawberry preserves
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce and the strawberry preserves and stir to combine.
Crystal says
Where can i print this recipe?
T Worthey says
Hi Crystal, I just updated the post to add a printable version! Thanks!