Now and then, a pitmaster has to get adventurous. These Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs are one heck of a ride. This recipe isn’t your run-of-the-mill BBQ, with sweetness from my Cherry Rub and a kick of heat from my favorite hot sauce. This recipe tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it’s pretty straightforward. My fool-proof method works great on any combination of rubs and sauces, so don’t be afraid to make the recipe your own.
These ribs are an excellent option for competitions when you want to wow the judges with something you don’t see every day. Or, treat your friends and family to an award-winning meal. The choice is yours! Whatever the occasion, you can be sure people will remember this recipe for years to come. The best thing about ribs is that they’re versatile. Whether you’re in the mood for sweet or savory ribs, there’s a recipe for you. Sometimes, a BBQ favorite like my Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs fits both flavor preferences.
I usually leave my ribs in a slab, but I cut them into single bones for this recipe. This makes it easy to serve and gives the pork a nice char. The ingredient quantities listed provide ribs with a mild kick of spice. Feel free to change the hot sauce amount if you want extra spicy ribs.
The Ingredients
My Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs come together with less than 10 ingredients. A well-stocked kitchen is a pitmaster’s best weapon. Here are some recommendations to get your collection started.
- Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Rub. I consider this rub the cherry on top of a great rack of ribs. There’s nothing else like it on the market! It’s fantastic on ribs, but you can also use it on chicken and lamb. I love this rub because it tastes great and gives your meat a gorgeous golden color.
- Heath Riles BBQ Beef Rub. One of the most fantastic perks of my BBQ rubs is that you can use them on a variety of meat. My Beef Rub is a great base coat for pork, chicken, or beef. I even use it to spice up a simple plate of vegetables. The possibilities are endless.
- Heath Riles BBQ Tangy Vinegar Sauce. I created this ingredient because I wanted a vinegar sauce that wasn’t too tart. This sauce has a beautiful balance of tangy and sweet, and it doesn’t overpower the meat as other vinegar-based sauces do.
- Killer Hogs Hot Sauce. This hot sauce comes from a buddy of mine and is made with the best-aged red peppers. Even if you’re not a huge fan of heat, you’ll enjoy this hot sauce. It has a mild flavor similar to buffalo wings. It shines when paired with my sweet rubs and sauces.
- Baby Back Ribs. I can’t tell you how many awards Prairie Fresh Ribs have helped me win. This is my go-to brand because it’s high-quality and doesn’t require a lot of trimming. Plus, the flavor is out of this world.
- Butter. This ingredient wraps the ribs in moisture and gives the meat a buffalo wing effect. The butter browns on the grills, creating the perfect amount of caramelization. This might just be the secret to mouth-watering ribs.
The Grill Setup
Here’s a quick rundown of the setup I used for this recipe. Check out the equipment and tools section for more of my grilling must-haves.
- Grill. For this recipe, I used my Goldens’ Cast Iron. This is a fantastic grill with shelving to help you prep your meat easily. If you’re looking for a setup that will last you, go with cast iron. I can’t recommend it enough.
- Pellets. I stoked my grill with Royal Oak Charcoal. These pellets contain no fillers, which gives your meat an authentic flavor.
The Process for Making Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs
The detailed demonstration for ribs on the Goldens’ Cast Iron can be found in the recipe card and video at the bottom of the post. For now, enjoy this brief overview.
- Prep the grill. I stoked my Goldens’ Cast Iron with charcoal pellets and got it up to about 300℉.
- Trim the ribs. I removed my ribs from the packaging and slid my fingers behind the membrane to eliminate it in one swift move. Then, I cut off any large pockets of fat from the meat.
- Cut the meat. I cut in between my rib bones to cut the meat into single-bone portions. Then, I put the ribs in a big glass bowl and set them to the side while I got gloved up.
- Prep the ribs. I used my good buddy Malcolm Reed’s Killer Hogs Hot Sauce as a binder. I added a few dashes and then mixed it in with my hands. Then, I took my ribs out of the bowl and laid them on my cooking tray.
- Add seasoning. I gave the ribs a good base layer of my BBQ Beef Rub, followed by a dusting of my BBQ Beef Rub. Then, I flipped the ribs and repeated the process.
- Start grilling. I spaced the ribs out and set them on the grill. Spacing them allowed the heat to circulate evenly, creating a cohesive cooking process. I let the ribs cook for about 30 minutes, then flipped them and let them grill for another 30 minutes.
- Sauce the pork. I put the ribs in my deep-dish aluminum foil pan and poured on a bottle of my Tangy Vinegar Sauce. Then, I laid ½ stick of butter (cut into pats) over the top. I covered the ribs and put them back on the grill for another 30-45 minutes.
- Finish the ribs. After about 45 minutes, I took the meat off the grill. Then, I unwrapped the ribs and plated them so they could dry off.
The Results
The end result was fall-off-the-bone ribs with a fantastic cherry-spiced flavor. The sauce was tacky and coated the ribs evenly. These ribs had just a hint of cherry, a velvet texture from the butter, and just the right amount of black pepper notes.
Serving Suggestions for Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs
These ribs are fantastic on their own, but sometimes you want to create a whole spread. Here are some of my favorite side dishes that go great with my Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs.
Storing Hot Cherry Buffalo Ribs
If you have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Equipment and Tools
Pellet grill, charcoal pellets, heavy-duty aluminum foil, 1 or 2 half-size deep aluminum pans, Victorinox Fibrox Pro 6-inch Curved Boning Knife.
