It’s almost time for Independence Day, when we all get together and celebrate the best of the USA. Of course, that involves our favorite foods, like BBQ ribs and bar snacks. This recipe merges together the best of both in a unique rack of ribs that’ll set off fireworks in your mouth.

Photo: Peter Pham

These Firecracker Ribs will add a fiery punch to your BBQ get together. They’re dusted with Stubb’s Pork Spice Rub and marinated with Stubb’s Spicy Bar-B-Q Sauce to get maximum BBQ flavor on just a couple of ingredients. They’re then smoked with cherry wood low and slow to make them so tender that you can pull the bones out clean.

Jalapeño poppers, a bar food classic, then enter the fray as a spicy cream cheese filling is crammed into the holes once occupied by the rib bones. And of course, because this is American food, we added in a bunch of bacon to the filling. I mean, what ISN’T better with bacon?

The final result is succulent, creamy, and juicy with a spicy kick that takes these ribs to the next level. They’ll be even more memorable than the July 4th fireworks shows if you make them for your get-together.

If you wanna make these at home, peep the full recipe below.

Ingredients

1 rack baby back pork ribs

1 package cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 packages bacon

12 jalapenos, thickly sliced lengthwise

1 bottle Stubb’s Spicy Bar-B-Q Sauce

1 jar Stubb’s Pork Spice Rub

¼ cup apple juice

2 Tbsp brown sugar

Estimated Cook Time: 5 hours

Directions

Step 1

Trim the ribs and rub with Stubb’s Pork Rub.

Step 2

Set up your grill for indirect heat and bring the temperature up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 3

Put the ribs on the grill and cook for 2 hours while maintaining temperature at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4

To wrap the ribs, prepare a section of foil about 4 inches longer than the rack of ribs. Pour a line of Stubb’s Spicy Bar-B-Q Sauce down the middle of the foil and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of brown sugar on top of it. Place the ribs meat-side down on top of the sauce and sugar mixture. Pour more BBQ sauce on top of the ribs and sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar on top. Fold one end of the foil over the edge of the ribs and crimp an airtight seam down the length of the top. Leave the other end of the package open for now. Pour the apple juice into the open end of the foil package and then fold it shut.

Step 5

Put the ribs back on the grill and cook for 1½ hours while maintaining temperature at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 6

Unwrap the ribs and put them back on the grill. Cook for another hour maintaining temperature at 250 and basting with BBQ sauce every 15 minutes.

Step 7

Test the ribs for tenderness by grabbing one of the bones and gently attempting to spin it. The ribs are ready if it spins with very little resistance. If the bone does not turn easily keep the ribs on the grill and perform the bone test every 15 minutes before basting. When the ribs are ready take them off the grill and loosely wrap them in foil to rest.

Step 8

Finely diced your jalapeños and bacon. Cook the bacon in a frying pan for 5-10 minutes, ensuring all of the bits are crispy. Mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños, and diced bacon.

Step 9

Take the ribs out of the foil and very gently remove the bones. Rotate slightly as you pull them straight out of the meat. Be careful not to pull at an angle so you don’t shred the meat. As you remove the bones, pipe in generous portions of your jalapeño, bacon, and cream cheese mixture.

Step 11

Take a step back and marvel at your work, you beautiful rib surgeon. You just carried out the first successful jalapeño popper rib bone replacement procedure in the history of modern rib meat medicine. Is there a Nobel prize in BBQ Physics? There should be. And you should win it.

Created in partnership with Stubb's BBQ Sauce