Honey Chipotle Country Style Rib Sandwich
On October 25, 2017 (Updated May 08, 2024)
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Not all rib sandwiches are made equal. This country style rib sandwich features melt-in-your-mouth country style ribs, caramelized onions, and Sweet Baby Ray’s sweet and tangy Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce all on a toasty bun. This post is sponsored by Sweet Baby Ray’s. The recipe and opinions are completely my own. Big thanks to the amazing brands that help support everything I do here at Hey Grill, Hey!
This recipe is actually adapted from one my mom made us when we were growing up. Probably because country style ribs are so affordable and she had 6 kids to feed! I can still remember those super soft and saucy morsels of pork ribs and tender onions. I knew that they would make an amazing sandwich, and it was totally the right call! These pork ribs are layered with sweet, spicy, and savory flavor. First, they are seasoned with my Homemade Sweet BBQ Rub with brown sugar, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne pepper for heat. Then they are braised with sweet onions, Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, some honey, and a few pats butter for good measure.
The secret to the perfect rib sandwich is having meat so tender that it almost falls apart. I achieved that texture on these country style pork ribs by starting with a nice hot sear on all sides of the ribs and then slow braising in sweet onions and Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce. I seared the ribs over direct heat on my charcoal grill, and then finished the braising step over indirect heat on the same grill. The same method could easily be followed on a gas grill by only turning on half of the burners and searing, then braising on the side where the burners were left off. The most important thing after searing is just making sure the overall temperature of the grill stays around 350 degrees F.
Once your ribs are infused with all of those glorious braising flavors and absolutely tender, it’s time to finish it all up and serve your loved ones! I like to serve these on toasted hoagie buns, topped with the soft onions and a drizzle of the saucy liquid. Garnish with something green like cilantro if you want to brighten everything up and you are good to go! Super simple, incredibly flavorful, and lip-smacking delicious!
Honey Chipotle Country Style Rib Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs
- 1 small sweet vidalia onion sliced
- 2 cups Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Hey Grill Hey’s Sweet BBQ Rub link in recipe notes
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 8 Toasted hoagie buns
Instructions
- Liberally season the ribs on all sides with the Sweet BBQ Rub.
- Preheat your grill to 350 degrees F with two zone heat. Place the seasoned ribs on the side of the grill with the direct heat and sear for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the seared ribs to a 9x13 aluminum pan or a 12 inch cast iron skillet , top with the sliced sweet onions, Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, and butter. Cover with foil and return to the grill on the indirect heat side.
- Bake, covered, for 2-3 additional hours or until the ribs are 202 degrees F internal temperature. Allow them to rest in the pan for 20-30 minutes. Carefully transfer one rib to each toasted bun. Top with the caramelized onions and additional sauce as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Was yummy! I changed a little bit. I only had the original baby rays so i added a chipotle spice to the ribs and i added Cole slaw on top instead of cilantro bit it was DELICIOUS!!
I’m going to try this. What is best using in this recipe, Boston butt country style rib or pork loin country style ribs?