MeatEater's Venison Ribs Recipe
Many people don't realize that you can make great bone-in rib recipes with your venison ribs if you just apply a little low, slow heat first and then go to the grill. Give this recipe a try. You'll never look at venison ribs the same way again. Recipe below.
Venison Ribs
Specialty Equipment:
slow cooker or pressure cooker, grill or grill over fire.
BBQ Rub
Yield 3 Cups
Ingredients:
½ cup kosher salt
2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
½ cup chili powder
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1 Tablespoon Smoked paprika
2 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon ground mustard
1 Teaspoon cayenne
2 Tablespoons oregano
½ cup brown sugar
BBQ Sauce
Yield 3 Cups
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
4 Tablespoons bbq rub (see above)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup molasses
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ Tablespoons liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
Methods
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for about a week in the fridge, longer if you omit the lemon juice.
Rib Methods
Using a hacksaw or bone saw, cut a rack of game ribs perpendicular to the bones, so to get a 4-6 inch strip of connected rib bones. Then cut these strips into pieces containing 3 or 4 ribs apiece.
Place the ribs into a pressure cooker or crock pot and add just enough stock or water to cover them. Cook at full pressure for 30 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. By then, the ribs should be fairly tender. The measure of a perfectly cooked venison rib will be if the meat hangs on to the bone when picked up, but if you shook the bone the meat would start to fall off. A little resistance is not a bad thing.
Prepare a grill (gas or charcoal) at medium-high heat.
Remove the ribs from the slow cooker, let them cool, and then give them a generous rub-down with the rub. Place the ribs on the grill. Since they’re already cooked, you’re simply reheating the meat and charring the outside a bit. Once the ribs have crisped, about 10 minutes, coat them generously with the barbeque sauce, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the sauce to caramelize and thicken. Serve warm.
Cooking Game: Venison Ribs brought to you by Weston.
