Offensive Security Online Community BBQ Event

This summer feels like it has just flown by and our community has continued to work very hard towards their professional development goals. While studying is important, taking breaks and disconnecting from cyber security is equally just as important to help prevent burnout. 

To help give you all a little bit of a break, we are throwing an online community bbq event with a chance to win some offsec swag!

Although we won’t be able to come together to smell or taste your creations, we want to see them. For this event, all you need to do is make your favorite bbq meal, take a picture of it and share it in the #food-and-recipes channel on our Discord from August 22nd through the end of August 27th. 

To determine the winner, our community will vote for their favorite-looking submission by adding the  emoji to the picture. The picture with the most yums will be the winner!

To help motivate your inner bbq pit boss, Tristram shares with us a simple method to cook baby back ribs on a gas grill in addition to one of his favorite homemade bbq sauces.

3-2-1 BBQ Ribs

One of my favorite things to do other than cybersecurity is cooking outside. Whether it’s grilling in an open fire pit, on a gas grill, or even in a charcoal smoker; it’s an opportunity to disconnect and keep your mind off the worries of the world.

I have a gas grill that I have been using for many years but is getting to the point where it needs to be replaced and decided to give it one last hoorah by sharing a baby back rib recipe that I have cooked on this grill more times than I can count. 

Baby back ribs are one of my favorite cuts of meat to cook because there are so many different ways you can cook them and they’ll always come out delicious. I encourage you to use your favorite rubs and sauces, but have added one of my favorite rubs as well as one of my sauces at the end if you would like to try something different.

Important Safety Information

The safe internal temperature to consume cooked pork is 145 degrees. This recipe is intended to finish your ribs at around 160 degrees. This gives your ribs some pull and allows you to use the bones as a handle as you rip into the meat. If you prefer ribs that fall right off the bone, then you need to cook them longer until their internal temp reaches around 190-200 degrees. You can also tell that they’re in this stage when the bone is exposed as the meat starts to pull away.

Steps

1. Preheat your grill to 250 degrees with the burners on one side for indirect heat
2. Take the ribs out of their package, rinse them, and pat them dry with a paper towel
3. Flip the ribs over to the bone side and check if there’s a membrane, which will look like a thin layer of fat
4. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by using a knife to lift up some of the membrane and pull it off with a paper towel.
5. Add a thin layer of yellow mustard on both sides of the ribs
6. Add your favorite rub to both sides of the ribs. I’m using honey hickory for these ribs and. one bottle is just enough for two ribs.
7. Place the ribs in a container and store in the fridge for 30 minutes
8. Pull the ribs out and check that the rub has been absorbed
9. Place your ribs meat side up on the side of the grill where the burners are off for 3 hours. You can add a smoker box to your gas grill during this stage for added smokey flavor
10. Brush your ribs with a 50/50 mixture of water and apple cider vinegar and rotate them every hour
11. Grab some tin foil and add your rub with slices of butter on top of the foil
12. Place your ribs meat side down on top of the mixture and wrap it
13. Flip the ribs over and wrap with a second layer of foil
14. Place your ribs back on the grill meat side up for two hours, rotate them after an hour
15. Take the ribs out of the foil, add your favorite sauce on, and grill for 60 minutes 
16. Check the temperature of your ribs to see if they have reached your desired internal cooking temperature. With this recipe, we are aiming for around 160 degrees, but cook them longer if you want ribs that will fall off the bone, approximately until 190-200 degrees. Once you pull them from the grill, let them sit for about 15 minutes.
17. Slice up the ribs and serve with your favorite side dishes. I enjoy eating my ribs with beans, a biscuit, and a cup of coffee.

Steps with Pictures

Take the ribs out of their package, rinse them, and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Flip the ribs over to the bone side and check if there’s a membrane, which will look like a thin layer of fat.

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by using a knife to lift up some of the membrane and pull it off with a paper towel.

Add a thin layer of yellow mustard on both sides of the ribs.

Add your favorite rub to both sides of the ribs. For these ribs, I’m using honey hickory. One bottle is just enough for two ribs.

Place the ribs in a container and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pull the ribs out and check that the rub has been absorbed.

Place your ribs meat side up on the side of the grill where the burners are off for 3 hours. You can add a smoker box to your gas grill during this stage for added smokey flavor.

Brush your ribs with a 50/50 mixture of water and apple cider vinegar and rotate them every hour.

Grab some tin foil and add your rub with slices of butter on top of the foil.

Place your ribs meat side down on top of the mixture and wrap it.

Flip the ribs over and wrap with a second layer of foil.

Place your ribs back on the grill meat side up for two hours, rotate them after an hour.

Take the ribs out of the foil and add your favorite sauce on and grill for 60 minutes.

Check the temperature of your ribs to see if they have reached your desired internal cooking temperature. With this recipe, we are aiming for around 160 degrees, but cook them longer if you want ribs that will fall off the bone, approximately until 190-200 degrees. Once you pull them from the grill, let them sit for about 15 minutes.

Slice up the ribs and serve with your favorite side dishes. I’m very simple and enjoy eating my ribs with beans, a biscuit, and a cup of coffee.

Tristram’s Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce

While there are many store-bought bbq sauces out there that are delicious, I like to experiment with making my own so I can explore different flavor combinations. 

This recipe is one of my personal favorites as it combines so many of my favorite flavors, including my obsession with tomatoes. This recipe will yield enough for two racks. If you’re feeling adventurous, try it on chicken wings too.

This sauce recipe will result in a semi-sweet thick bbq sauce with a kick of smokey heat. If you want to add some razzle dazzle, dice up some chili and jalapeno peppers for some additional heat. 

Ingredients

1. 1. 1. 1. 1 cup of tomato paste
         2. ¾ cup of apple cider vinegar
         3. ¼ cup of molasses
         4. 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
         5. 2 tablespoons of smoked onion + paprika
         6. 1 tablespoon of smoked salt + pepper
         7. 3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

Ingredients + Picture

Final Mixture