\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Rib Recipe That Stops You in Your Tracks<\/h2>\n
Every once in a while, a dish comes along that not only makes your mouth water but makes you sit up and take notice. That looks cool. That sounds cool. That tastes cool with off-the-charts flavor. <\/p>\n
Such a dish is my cousin, David Raichlen\u2019s, chocolate chipotle ribs. <\/p>\n
![\"Chocolate](\"https:\/\/d21klxpge3tttg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/ribs-chocolate-chipotle-500.jpg\")
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You\u2019ve seen them in my books. You\u2019ve watched me make them on television. Now I\u2019m about to reveal the secret of these wacky, mucho delicioso baby backs. <\/p>\n
Chocolate and Chiles: An Unexpected Pairing<\/h2>\n
First, the wack. Who on earth would think to combine chocolate and chiles? <\/p>\n
Well, how about the ancient Aztecs, who mixed cocoa beans with chili peppers to make an electrifying pre-Colombian version of hot chocolate? The Emperor Montezuma was said to drain 50 cups a day.<\/p>\n
Or the great cooks of Oaxaca, for whom chocolate and chiles are defining ingredients in their mole poblano\u2014the complex soulful sauce served with turkey, pork and more. <\/p>\n
A Family BBQ Legend<\/h2>\n
So who would think to combine chocolate and chilies with ribs? That would the other barbecuing Raichlen\u2013Dr. David Raichlen\u2014Cousin Dave for short.<\/p>\n
![\"Steven](\"https:\/\/d21klxpge3tttg.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/steven-david-raichlen.jpg\")
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Dave helped put himself through college cooking barbecue parties for his fellow students. Today, he\u2019s a professor of anthropology at University of Southern California. <\/p>\n
His chocolate chipotle baby backs are legendary in our family, not to mention the greater barbecue community. Honey makes them sweet, chipotles make them fiery, while cocoa powder adds a pleasing chocolaty bitterness that makes these unlike any ribs you\u2019ve tasted.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t take my word for it. Just ask Cousin Dave. <\/p>\n