This past fall my tomato plants were still loaded with green tomatoes, and I wasn’t about to let them go to waste. I turned the kitchen into a small jam workshop and experimented with several flavors. One of the best was a mango-green tomato jam that caught everyone’s attention.

When my husband brought home two slabs of baby back pork ribs on sale, I knew exactly how to use that mango jam. I mixed it into my favorite all-purpose barbecue sauce—Sweet Baby Ray’s—and the result was an irresistible sweet-tangy glaze.

I seasoned the ribs with a dark brown sugar and smoked-spice rub, wrapped them tightly in foil, and slow-baked them until they were fall-off-the-bone tender. After opening the foil, I brushed the back (bone side) with the mango-bbq sauce, returned them to the oven briefly to set the glaze, then coated and finished the meaty side for a glossy, flavorful crust.

The finished ribs were beautiful — sticky, sweet, slightly smoky, and incredibly tender. They were an easy crowd-pleaser and required only common pantry ingredients plus that special jam.

If you don’t have homemade mango-green tomato jam, store-bought mango jam, jelly, or preserves will work nicely—adjust the amount if you prefer less sweetness.

These ribs were served with baked potatoes, a tossed salad with homemade dressing, and garlic bread for a simple, satisfying meal. The combination of my rub, the mango jam, and Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce created a sweet, tangy, and slightly smoky flavor that was a hit with everyone at the table.

They were gorgeous and very easy to make.

Yield: 4 servings

Mango Tomato Jelly & Barbecue Sauce Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 rack baby back pork ribs, membrane removed and excess fat trimmed if desired

For Dry Rub:

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp hickory smoked salt
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (Johnny’s recommended)
• 1 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Cajun’s Choice Creole seasoning
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

For BBQ Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 cup mango green tomato jam (or substitute mango jelly/jam; reduce amount if you prefer less sweetness)

Instructions

1. Mix the dry rub ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Stir together the barbecue sauce and mango jam in a small bowl and warm briefly to combine evenly. Set aside.
3. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by scraping a corner with a spoon, then pulling it off in one piece. Spray the inside of a large sheet of foil with butter-flavored cooking spray. Place the rack meat-side up and coat the top with half the rub. Turn and coat the bone side with the remaining rub. Fold the foil around the ribs and seal tightly, taking care not to tear the foil.
4. Place the wrapped ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Marinate several hours or overnight, or bake immediately in a preheated 300ºF oven for 2½ hours.
5. Carefully open the foil package and place the ribs back on a clean foil-lined baking sheet, bone-side up. Coat the bone side with the bbq sauce mixture and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Turn the ribs, coat the meaty side with the remaining sauce, and bake another 15 minutes. If grilling, start sauce-coated meat-side down, baste the rib side, then turn and grill the bone side briefly.
6. Transfer to a serving platter, cut between the bones into portions, and serve. Tip: double the sauce if you prefer extra coating or dipping sauce.

It’s surprising what you can do with the last of the season’s green tomatoes. This recipe turned them into something worth celebrating.