Baby back ribs
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It’s the wood
Wood Ranch BBQ roasts baby back pork ribs over mesquite and then slathers them with a Santa Ynez-style barbecue sauce, based on tomato, sugar and vinegar -- it caramelizes into a red-brown coating. A light platter is eight ribs, a full rack is 13. Each comes with a choice of two sides, such as barbecued beans, “smashed” sweet potatoes, twice-baked mashed garlic potatoes or peanut cole slaw. (Light platter, $14.95; full rack, $16.95.)
Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, the Grove at Farmers Market, Suite Y-80, 189 the Grove Drive, Los Angeles, (323) 937-6800; other locations in Moorpark, Camarillo, Agoura Hills, Northridge, Valencia, Anaheim Hills and Rancho Santa Margarita.
Sweet and tangy
Gerry Garvin seasons his baby back ribs with a dry rub and cooks them until the meat falls off the bone. His Texas
barbecue sauce combines molasses, orange juice and a little Coca Cola to create a sweet, tangy flavor. (Baby back appetizer, $18.)
G. Garvin’s, 8420 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 655-3888.
Memphis style
Zeke’s does ribs Memphis-style, rubbing them with spices before smoking and using a sauce based on molasses and tamarind. This gives the ribs a rich, dark amber shade. Side dishes include “made-from-scratch beans” and creamy coleslaw. (Baby backs dinners: regular, $13.95; large, $19.95; full slab, $24.95.)
Zeke’s, 2209 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, (818) 957-8672.
-- Jessica Strand