Cousin Dave's Chocolate Chipotle Ribs

Rib Date: Saturday, November 17, 2012 (yes 3 months ago)
Ribsters: Frommelt Family, Pomeranian Family, Perry Family, Gregory Family, Stults Family, including father-in-law Douglas visiting from Scotland, and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver

Even though I haven't updated the blog in nearly five months, it doesn't mean I haven't been cooking and eating ribs.  Err...yes it does.  Except for this one time-- the Saturday before Thanksgiving-- when we did Cousin Dave's Chocolate Chipotle Ribs.

These ribs were pretty damn good-- think mole' flavor-- kind of a Mexican chile smokiness with a sneaky chocolatey sweetness sweeping up at the end.  Nothing overpowering.  Just layers of subtle deliciousness.

Apparently the recipe comes from rib guru Steven Raichlen's cousin Dave, who is a university professor by day and grilling enthusiast by night.  Cuz lives in Texas, hence the Tex- Mex characteristics of this rib recipe.

For as tasty as they were, these ribs were not that tough to make.  Essentially the ribs get slathered in a homemade chipotle paste for about half a day, go on the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker for a few hours, get a dusting of grated chocolate and last but not least, get devoured.

Evidently, the comments and quotes extracted that night came after copious amounts of red wine.  That could be Paul Frommelt's fault.  I think he brought over a case of wine and doubt he took any of it home. 

Even though he himself is a Texan, Crispy Pommeranian said the ribs were on the spicy side.  "These ribs are hotter than a whorehouse on nickel night.".

A wannabe vegetarian, Leslie Frommelt gave the ribs a test drive and proclaimed, "I love these ribs.  Except for the meat."

Her daughter Henley, a star point guard on our girls' basketball team, said the ribs were "spicy, but not super, super spicy."

Her teammate, my daughter Eilidh, agreed.  "The ribs are perfect for people who like spice, but also perfect for those who don't.  They're balanced."

My wife Gill also liked the ribs.  "The grated chocolate over the top was delicious."

Last but certainly not least was my father-in-law Douglas.  Being from Scotland, good food may not be ingrained in his DNA, but good whisky is!  He complimented the ribs (even had seconds) then led the team on a single malt whisky tasting to conclude the evening.

Cousin Dave's Chocolate Chipotle Ribs recipe can be found on page 110 of Raichlen's book, "Ribs, Ribs, Ribs."