Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Stuffed with Sweet Heat Ribs
Makes 2-4 servings depending on the size of your pineapple (and your hunger!)
Ingredients
12ozbottle Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade
1 1/2lbsboneless pork ribs
1large pineapple
8slicesthick cut bacon
oilfor searing
Instructions
Place ribs in a large freezer bag and pour 1/2 the bottle of Sweet Heat Marinade on top. Seal and shake. Marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
For the pineapple: cut in half (leaving the top leaves or "crown" of the pineapple intact) and scoop out inside flesh leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch of pineapple.
Place hollowed side up on a rack on top of a baking sheet with edges (to catch any bacon drippings).
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over med heat.
Add oil to coat the bottom of skillet then remove ribs from bag and place in hot skillet.
Sear ribs(do not cook all the way through) until they have a nice crust.
Baste (or simply pour) with additional marinade from the bag then flip over and sear the other side. Discard remaining marinade in bag.
Remove from pan and add bacon, cooking with the leftover marinade still in the skillet.
Cook bacon for a couple minutes, where it is still pliable but it has a nice coating of sauce.
Remove from heat.
Pour remaining Sweet Heat Marinade in the bottle in a bowl.
Place two ribs in the center of each hollowed pineapple half.
Brush ribs with marinade.
Flip pineapple (with ribs inside) over so the ribs are stuffed inside.
Lay 3-4 strips (depending on the size of your pineapple) of partially cooked bacon in rows on top of each pineapple half. I like to brush these with additional marinade too.
Tuck ends of bacon hanging down under the pineapple.
I place any additional ribs (I usually have 2 left over) in between the pineapple halves on the same cooking rack.
Place in the center of the oven and bake nice and slow for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven, brush on a little more marinade on the crispy bacon and let cool slightly then move stuffed pineapple to a cutting board.
I prefer to cut off the pineapple crown (it will be wilted unless you want to leave it on for presentation) and then slide the pineapple halves on to a plate and serve warm with fresh coleslaw and corn on the cob!
Notes
We also like to make this recipe in our smoker. You can can prepare it the same except do not partial cook the ribs or bacon. I also prefer to leave the ribs out of the pineapple in the smoker so they get the delicious smoked flavor then stuff them in the pineapple before placing on the plates to serve. Smoke for 2 1/2 hours.