Sesame Pork Ribs — The BBQ Man Always Shows Up

June. Summer. DeAndre turned nine this week, and the party was at Walter Jr.'s house in Cordova, and I brought smoked drumsticks as I have for every DeAndre birthday since he was five. The boy is growing — five feet now, all legs, and his hands are getting bigger every time I see them, the Johnson hands that make a football look manageable and that will, if genetics and stubbornness cooperate, make him an offensive tackle like his grandfather and his great-great-uncle Clyde never was but would have appreciated.

He asked me to teach him to throw a football properly. Not a kid throw — a real throw, spiral, arm-cocked, the kind of throw that covers thirty yards and arrives where it's supposed to arrive. I showed him in the backyard: grip, step, release, follow through. He threw fifteen balls. Eleven went where they should have. Four went into the neighbor's yard. We retrieved them without apology because football knows no property lines and neighbors who live next to nine-year-olds accept this as the cost of proximity.

After the throwing, we sat by the non-existent smoker (Walter Jr.'s yard has a grill, not a smoker, which I consider an oversight that Marcus's new house in Whitehaven is already correcting) and DeAndre said, "Big E, when I grow up, I want to be like you." I said, "A mailman?" He said, "No. A BBQ man." I said, "Those are the same thing." He said, "They are?" I said, "Both require showing up every day, rain or shine, and delivering something people need." He thought about this. Then he said, "Can BBQ men play football?" I said, "BBQ men can do anything." He seemed satisfied. I was more than satisfied. I was full.

DeAndre asked me to be a BBQ man when he grows up, and I told him that’s the highest calling there is — so it only felt right to leave him with something worthy of the title. Walter Jr.’s yard may not have a proper smoker yet, but these sesame pork ribs get you close: low and slow, a little sweet, a little savory, the kind of thing that makes a backyard feel like a destination. If you’re going to teach a nine-year-old what showing up looks like, you might as well show him with a rack of ribs in your hand.

Sesame Pork Ribs

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork baby back ribs, membrane removed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep the ribs. Pat ribs dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
2. Make the sesame glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
3. Start low and slow. Preheat your oven to 300°F (or set up a smoker/grill for indirect heat at the same temperature). Place ribs meat-side up in a large roasting pan. Brush half the glaze evenly over both sides.
4. Cover and cook. Tent the pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and beginning to pull away from the bones.
5. Glaze and finish. Remove the foil and increase heat to 400°F (or move ribs over direct heat on the grill). Brush the remaining glaze liberally over the ribs. Cook uncovered for an additional 20–30 minutes, until the glaze is caramelized and sticky.
6. Rest and serve. Remove ribs from heat and let rest 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 620mg