Oven-baked ribs
How many ribs you need will depend on the bone/meat ratio of the ribs you buy. I suggest 600 g of ribs per person.
You can use any spices you like for the rub, the list below is just to give you some inspiration; other spices could be coriander seeds, celery salt, oregano, thyme, brown sugar, cayenne, etc.
The most efficient way would be to use a mortar and pestle, but any method by which you can crush and grind spices together should work.
This recipe should be enough for 1 kg of ribs.
- 1 tbsp (smoked) paprika powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mustard seed powder
- put all the spices in a bowl (ideally a mortar)
- mix and crush
You can use any barbecue sauce as a glaze. The recipe below can provide some inspiration.
The list below should be more than enough for 1 kg or ribs, probably even 2. For reference, I used double this recipe for 3 kg of ribs and had extra left over.
- 300 g tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pear/apple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp corn oil
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp (smoked) paprika powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
optional:
- 1 tsp salt (more salty)
- 1 tsp sriracha (spicy)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (garlicky)
- in a pan, whisk together all the ingredients
- whisk continuously while on medium heat (rotate the pan to scrape the entire bottom)
- bring to a boil, continue stirring
- continue on low heat, and let it cook for 10 minutes
This can be used immediately or preserved for about a month in the fridge in a closed container
The secret to juicy ribs is a slow-cook method. It takes time, but hardly any effort.
The ideal temperature is something you need to experiment with. The internal temperature of the ribs should reach at least 87 °C, as this is when the fat and collagen will start to melt.
The best result is achieved when you do the first two steps at least a few hours before you cook the ribs (ideally overnight).
If you want slight variations, you could experiment with having some apple juice or whisky on the bottom of the tray during baking.
If you’re having a barbecue, you can also pre-cook the ribs in the oven, up to approximately 93 °C internal temperature, after which you finish by grilling them with the glaze on the barbecue.
If you are cooking multiple trays at once, it is a good idea to have a thermometer in each tray. If one is seriously lagging behind, you can switch the position of the trays at some point in the process. Just make sure not to open the aluminium foil.
- a pyrex baking dish or roasting tin (one dish per two full racks should do)
- aluminium foil
- (baby back) ribs
- a rub (such as the one above)
- a barbecue sauce (such as the one above)
- remove the skin membrane from the back of the ribs (this is very important)
- coat the ribs generously and thoroughly with the rub, back and front
- preheat the oven to 130 °C
- line the baking dish or roasting tin with aluminium foil (this will help with cleanup later)
- put the ribs in the dish or tray in single layers, hollow side up
- cover with more aluminium foil (this is important, as we want the moisture to remain in with the ribs)
- bake the ribs for ~4 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 93 to 95 °C (this will depend on the size and type of your ribs, I suggest overshooting rather than undershooting)
- take off the aluminium foil
- set the oven to grill
- generously coat the ribs with the glaze (using a brush makes your life easier)
- bake under the grill for 5 to 10 minutes until the glaze has caramelised
- repeat the process above for a thicker glaze, if desired
If you want to keep the ribs warm until it is time to eat, put the oven on its lowest setting, and cover the ribs in aluminium foil. You can leave the oven door ajar if you feel this is still too warm. You can do this for about 30 minutes.