Jalapeno Cheddar Muffins with ribs and North Carolina Sauce

It was a fall football weekend and I tried a new way to serve ribs. I had made ribs in the crockpot the other day and had a some left over which begged the question, do I just reheat? Nope, I made a wonderful vinegar based sauce and let them simmer in the sauce to reheat. In the meantime, I made these muffins to pour the sauce and ribs over. It was a big hit.

Sauce:

Step 1:

Combine butter, ketchup, jalapeños, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk in the cider vinegar and red wine vinegar.

Add the cooked ribs and let simmer in the sauce until the ribs are warmed through and tender. Used pre-cooked ribs only.

Sauce Ingredients:

8 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup ketchup

3 jalapeños, diced

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder (I used half regular and half Mexican Hot)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Now we are ready to make the muffins.

Muffins:

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with liners

Step 2:

In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, egg whites, butter, sugar, jalapeños, and cheese.

Step 3:

In another bowl whisk the dry ingredients together (Flours, baking powder, baking soda and garlic powder). Create a well and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Step 4:

Fill the prepared muffin tins about 2/3’s full.

Step 5:

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for about 5 minutes and move to a wire rack. Serve warm with the ribs and sauce. I like to pour the sauce and ribs over the muffins in a big bowl, but you can also serve the muffins on the side.