Our favorite barbecue ribs include southern classics like mac and cheese and collard veggies, as well as lighter fare such as crunchy slaw and an unexpected fruity salad. Whatever you serve with your ribs, make sure to have masses of barbecue sauce and napkins available.
Ribs, whether or not toddler back or spare (and whether or not grilled, smoked, or baked within the oven), are the kind of element that demands total absorption: eyes down, both fingers getting messy from all the BBQ above sauce, not coming up for air until that bone’s picked smooth when you do come up for air, although, you want something delicious to eat earlier than tackling the subsequent rib inside the pile: Behold, nine of our faves.
1. Slow-cooker collard Greens
Collards are frequently cooked with smoked ham hocks, but smoked turkey drumsticks are a notable replacement and yield more meat than ham hocks. Cleaning and trimming five kilos of veggies is the hardest part of this recipe. After that, it’s smooth. Get our Slow Cooker Collard Greens recipe.
2. Classic Macaroni and Cheese
What’s first-rate about this recipe is its versatility. It works as a creamy stovetop dish with any mix-ins you want and as a crunchy baked mac ‘n’ cheese sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs. Get our Classic Macaroni and Cheese recipe.
3. Herbed Potato Salad
The tangy herbed dressing (a shallot-and-Dijon vinaigrette with parsley, tarragon, and dill) cuts through the richness of BBQ ribs like a knife. Get our Herbed Potato Salad recipe. (And find out which potatoes to use for potato salad too.)
4. Crispy Corn Fritters
Using any other name, Hush dogs taste like candy—as those summertime corn fritters show so well. Fresh kernels off the cob are folded into cornmeal batter with cayenne and scallions, then fried crisp and golden brown (however fluffy and tender interior). Drag them through the BBQ sauce for your plate for a swoon-worthy chunk. Get our Crispy Corn Fritters recipe.
5. Baked Cheese Grits
For something simpler but just as gratifying, brief-cooking grits combine with milk, sharp cheddar cheese, warm sauce, and eggs, then bake in a casserole dish that can move directly onto the table. When the corn’s in season, try folding a few fresh kernels into this dish, too, for pops of juicy sweetness. Get our Baked Cheese Grits recipe.
6. Corn with Basil Butter and Flaky Salt
Grilled corn at the cob is exceptional, but generously unfold this herbed butter on top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt for an easy yet sophisticated dish that epitomizes summer. Get our Corn with Basil Butter and Flaky Salt recipe. (Or, go along with an Asian-inspired fish fry sauce in your ribs, try, the Soy Sauce Grilled Corn recipe on the facet.)
7. Corn and Tomato Coleslaw
Green cabbage, clean corn (a habitual topic for a top motive), tart tomatillos, and cherry tomatoes: the ideal summer season coleslaw recipe. A lime, garlic, and mustard dressing, finish it with a chopped cilantro sprinkle. Get our Corn and Tomato Coleslaw recipe. (Try our Lime and Jalapeño Coleslaw recipe if you like more spice.)
8. Spicy Jicama, Grapefruit, and Mango Salad
Out of the container, however, this tart, cooling, crisp, and clean salad is the correct go-with for rich beef and multi-layered BBQ sauce. Try it, and you may start a new summer season grilling way of life. Get our Spicy Jicama, Grapefruit, and Mango Salad recipe.
9. Jalapeño-Corn-Beer Bread
Cornbread is the right foil for the richness and complexity of a stack of bones, but this highly spiced shortbread with pickled jalapeños is an interesting cornbread alternative. It has a dense texture that’s first-rate for dipping in BBQ sauce. Get our Jalapeño-Corn-Beer Bread recipe.
