Summer's here!

Summer is finally here, well at least the weather is shaping up. And that means one thing to me, barbecue!
One of my favorite things to do is barbecue and have friends over. I keep an eye on the sales at Albertsons and when boneless pork shoulder (ribs) goes on sale I stock up. The best thing to do with ribs is soak them in bbq sauce for two to three days and then slowly grill them over medium heat.
Here is a recipe for my favorite bbq sauce/marinade:

1 cup root beer
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan, boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 3o minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool, the sauce can keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. The best use for this sauce is to marinate the above mentioned ribs in. Place the ribs in a ziplock and pour enough of the sauce to cover the meat. Seal the bag and let them sit in the fridge for two days. Any remaining sauce can be refrigerated for use when you cook the meat.
If your ambitious enough, the sauce can be canned using a water bath method. I typically make at least a double batch for 5 pounds of ribs. Always check the internal temperature of your food before pulling off the grill, pork should be at least 165 F before serving.

Anther favorite is grilled pineapple and goes well as a side with ribs. Buy a fresh pineapple, slice it into chunks and grill it up along side the ribs. For a sweeter pineapple, brush on some melted butter mixed with honey and lemon juice. The honey makes a nice little glaze on the pineapple.

Happy Grilling!