Barbecue season is well underway, and Four Seasons chefs are cooking up some favourite summer recipes. Executive Chef Elmar Prambs at Four Seasons Hotel Austin is no exception, and here he shares his famous recipe for barbecue sauce and tips for making the perfect ribs in your own backyard. Rather than suggesting you reach for a can of cola to add to his marinade, Executive Chef Prambs offers a unique homemade cola spice mix that contains all the necessary flavour, minus the sugar.

Executive Chef Prambs’ Texas Cola-Spiced Barbecue Sauce Recipe

2 tbsps homemade cola spice mix*
1 can (12 oz.) fresh sliced peaches
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
3 tbsps tomato paste
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup molasses
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste

In a heavy saucepot, combine all the ingredients. Simmer until reduced by half. Put mixture in a blender and blend thoroughly. Strain mixture and put it back on the heat until it is reduced to the consistency of thick syrup.

*Homemade Cola Spice Mix

2 vanilla beans, dried
Zest of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 limes
Zest of 2 oranges
4 black cardamom pods
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsps mace
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

Grind all the ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder until fine.

The Perfect Ribs

• For each rack of baby back ribs, estimate approximately half a cup of your favourite barbecue sauce
• Cut the ribs into serving size and parboil in boiling water (enough to cover) until meat practically falls off the bone, about 45 minutes to 1 hour
• Remove the ribs (do not let them cool) and brush them well with barbecue sauce
• On a well-greased grill, on medium heat, grill 5 minutes per side
• Remove from the grill, brush lightly with more sauce and serve with an ice-cold beer