Meat

Baby Back Ribs

Baby Back Ribs
Chef's notes

Here in the south, “Criticizing someone’s barbeque is like telling them their kids are ugly”! Everyone’s seems to have their own recipes, techniques and equipment. True “grill masters” even have their own secret recipes for rubs and barbecue sauces. 

Even without a smoker, a Big Green Egg or a suitable slow cook grill, you can still make terrific ribs at home. “BME” before my “Egg”, I frequently slow cooked ribs smothered with rub in my oven using low temperature direct heat. I finished them with barbeque sauce, caramelized in my then Webber grill. They might not have competed against the top rib mister but they always were really good. 

Baby back ribs are affordable, often about $10 or less per slab. When served with a compliment of appetizers, sides and desert, each slab will serve on average between 2 and 3.

Although dry rubs can be homemade, they usually require relatively smaller amounts of several herbs and seasoning like paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, cayenne, and chili powders. Through the years I can’t recall ever being seriously disappointed with store bought including barbecue sauces. 

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Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

  • Pork Baby back ribs
  • Dry Rub
  • Barbecue sauce

Instructions

If still attacked, remove membrane from the concave side of the ribs. Rinse ribs in cold water and dry thoroughly. Liberally coat ribs all over with rub. Place ribs on a cookie sheet or large aluminum foil roasting pan. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight.

Oven method (about 4 hours slow cooking)

  1. Use a cookie sheet on the lowest rack as a baffle. Place up to 3 slabs of ribs on a cookie sheet in the middle of the oven. If more slabs, redistribute them equally on an additional sheet. Set oven to about 250° direct heat.

  2. In about 2 hours, flip slabs over and rotate sheet. In half hour increments, check for progress. Meat will begin to shrink. When able to pull the smallest end rib bones pull apart easily, brush ribs with barbeque sauce and cover with aluminum foil. When remaining ribs pull apart easier, ribs are ready. Cut and pull in 3-rib increments. Serve with additional sauce.

Big Green Egg Users

  1. Set Egg with plate setter legs up. I've tested both ways, legs up for low and slow baby back. Use porcelain coated grid and rib racks. Set temperature at 225°-240°. Optional, soak hardwood chips for several hours and distribute oven lump hardwood. 

  2. Place ribs on rack. After about 2-2 ½ hours, tuck aluminum foil around ribs. After a total of about 3 ½ hours, caramelize by mopping ribs with barbecue sauce and cover again with foil. Ribs should be ready after about 4 hours total.

Notes: 

  1. A friend is both a barbecue judge and author of a successful barbecue book. He cautions that judges look for ribs that pull cleanly off the bone but require a slight tug. Falling off the bone maybe a favorite for many but may won’t win contests.
  2. Rest refrigerated ribs before placing in grill or smoker.
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