How To Bake The Best Ribs

Pork Ribs

The recipe uses baby back ribs. These are the upper part of a pig's rib cage. They have a moderate upward curve and are shorter than other kinds.

You can also use different ribs like spare ribs, St Louis-style, or country-style ribs. The sort of ribs you pick out definitely depends upon your preference.

Seasonings

A good amount of salt and pepper is all you need. But for more flavor, try making a dry rub. It’s an easy combination of dry spices, herbs, salt, sugar, and other seasonings.

It creates a tasty crust on the meat’s surface. It normally consists of brown sugar, salt, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.

Add whatever seasonings you prefer. Don’t hesitate!

BBQ Sauce

You can easily make your own BBQ sauce at home with simple steps. But if you're short on time, a store-bought sauce works great for baking ribs.

Just choose your favorite, and you're good to go!

Including BBQ sauce helps create a caramelized, sticky glaze as it bakes and thickens. It uplifts the rib’s juiciness, locking in moisture and giving it a smoky, sweet, tangy taste.

Onion and Garlic (optional)

You can add onion and garlic to flavor the meat while it cooks (recommended). You simply need to smother the ribs with these aromatics and seal with aluminum foil to roast.

Or, slice an onion into rings and region them in the bottom of a roasting pan. Then, place the ribs on top of the onions. Add chopped garlic cloves around the ribs.

Tools required

• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Paper towels
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons/cups
• Plastic wrap
• Baking sheet or roasting pan
• Aluminum foil
• Wire rack (optional)
• Tongs
• Basting brush
• Meat thermometer

You don’t need any fancy tools or extra ingredients to cook ribs. You can experience flawlessly roasted ribs with only some basic supplies.

Here, we provide a step-by-step manual for baking ribs, together with an ingredient list for your comfort.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (lb) baby back ribs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Fire Up the Oven

First, heat the oven to 275°F (135°C) where you will place the ribs to cook in it. The low and steady heat helps to break down collagen in meat making it juicy with no dryness in it.

Making sure it’s preheated from all sides ensures that meat is perfectly cooked throughout resulting in slow cooking of ribs.

2. Prep Those Ribs

Ribs have the best flavor and texture when you remove the membrane. The back side of the ribs should be facing upwards while locating the thin transparent membrane.

To start with, you can unstick one end of it using a butter knife then hold on it tightly with a paper towel (since it has a good grip) before slowly peeling off from there if possible.

Though doing this may seem complicated at first, it becomes easier over time.

While a bit of fat is meant for taste, an excess could create greasy ribs. Use a knife to eliminate any big masses of greasy substances. Just don’t trim too much.

3. Seasoning

Give your ribs a quick rinse and pat them dry. This removes any remaining fragments of bones or membranes.

Now, take a small bowl and stir together all the seasonings to make a dry rub.

Now, get your hands dirty! Massage that rub all over the ribs. Really work it in there. This isn't just for taste - it helps tenderize the meat too.

The ribs should be at room temperature before cooking.

4. Wrapping

Grab a baking tray and line it with foil. Place your ribs on it, flesh side up. Now, here's the important part: wrap those ribs up tight in foil.

This traps all the juicy goodness inside, making your ribs extra tender. Make sure that there are no holes in the wrapping to escape vapor.

5. Bake Low and Slow

Pop your foil-wrapped ribs in the oven. Baby back ribs need about 2.5 to 3 hours, while bigger spare ribs take 3 to 4 hours. The meat's done when it hits 185°F to 203°F inside.

You'll know it's perfect when you can twist a bone and it moves easily but doesn't fall right out.

6. Sauce It Up

In the final half hour, unwrap your ribs and slather on some BBQ sauce. This is where the magic takes place - the sauce will get all sticky and caramelized. Yum!

Do not apply sauce too early because it may cause burning. This step gives the desired shiny finish that improves both the taste and looks of the ribs.

7. Optional Broil

For a little extra oomph, turn on your broiler for a few minutes at the end. Keep a close eye on it - you want a little char, not a burnt mess!

8. Rest and Serve

Once done, let your ribs rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting. This makes sure all that juicy goodness stays in the meat.

Then, slice between the bones and dig in! If you did it proper, the meat should pull away from the bone with just a little tug.

Now you're a rib master! Enjoy those tender, juicy, finger-licking good ribs!

Baby back ribs are a soft cut that needs little care, and slow cooking to result perfectly. Set the oven at 275°F (135°C) and bake for about 2.5 to 3 hrs blanketed with foil.

Larger, fattier ribs want more cooking time inside the oven. Aim to bake spare ribs at 275°F for 3 to 4 hours while covering them with foil during the last two hours to retain juiciness and tenderness.

If baking at 350°F shoot for around 2 hours if the ribs are uncovered. If you wrap it in foil, the ribs can bake for around 3 hours at 300°F.

Big beef dino ribs take even longer to cook in the oven and should be covered to stay moist.

Super thin-cut flanken style ribs cook quickly (5 minutes per side) under the broiler and don't need to be wrapped or slow-cooked.

Additional 20-30 minutes of cooking is then added to use BBQ sauce that's then cooked till it evaporates absolutely.

However, the cooking time for the BBQ sauce will depend on the amount of sauce you apply and how thick you need the sauce to be (your liking).

Use a meat thermometer to test the inner temperature of the ribs.

For baby back ribs, they are typically finished after they reap an inner temperature of 190-203F (88-95°C). For beef ribs, the internal temperature ought to be around 195-205°F (ninety-ninety six°C).

The ribs need to be very tender (gentle) and easily pull away from the bone (satisfying!).

The cooking time can range counting on the size and thickness of the ribs and the method you're using (baking, grilling, smoking).

It's always a splendid concept to test the ribs periodically to make certain they are cooked to your selected doneness.

• Choose the right cut: Baby back ribs are normally more tender, while spare ribs are large and feature extra meat.
• Remove the membrane: Cut the hard skin from the bone side of the ribs. Doing so enables the spices to seep deep into the flesh
• Season well: An easy rub of salt, pepper, and your favored spices can do wonders. Let the seasoning sit down for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
• Slow and low: Cooking ribs at a low temperature (around 275°F) for a long term (2 to four hrs) enables them become delicate and juicy.
• Wrap in foil: It’s clever to wrap the ribs in foil partway through cooking. It traps moisture and maintains the meat juicy and soft.
• Add moisture: You can pour a small-quantity of water, apple juice, or broth (something you like) into the baking pan or foil packet. This keeps the ribs moist as it cooks.
• Broil or glaze: In the final mins of cooking, put off the foil and brush for your preferred BBQ sauce. Broil briefly to caramelize the sauce, adding a delicious sticky glaze.

• Classic Coleslaw: This is the perfect contrast to the rich, smoky taste of ribs because it has a refreshing kick and contains crunchy food items like cabbage and carrots along with either a creamy or vinegar-based dressing.
• Baked Beans: Oven-baked beans are usually very sweet and smokey, thus making them a very good choice for the ribs. If extra flavor is needed, they can be enhanced by adding bacon, brown sugar, and a little ketchup.
• Cornbread: This gentle and somewhat sugary cornbread makes an incredible accompaniment that absorbs all the flavors of the ribs. Offer it hot with some honey or melted butter on top.
• Grilled Corn on the Cob: Grilling corn offers it a charred taste that blends nicely with the rib’s smokiness. It's good to sprinkle some chili powder over it and squeeze lime too for a greater taste.
• Potato Salad: Creamy potato salad flavored mustard and dill is one of the best pairs for Ribs. Alternatively, you might opt for a less dense option, which would be given by the light, vinegar-based German potato salad.

You’ve got some leftover ribs and are now wondering how to save them properly. It’s easy, no worries! Just put them in an airtight container and store in fridge for up to 4 days.

If you do not plan to eat them within that time, freeze them. When tightly wrapped in foil they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before use.

When reheating, place the ribs, wrapped in foil, in an oven at 275°F for around 20 to 30 minutes. You can also place them on the grill over medium heat.

Once warm, slather the ribs with BBQ sauce before serving. For added flavor, broil or grill to caramelize the sauce.