I don't usually cook ribs because I don't have the time to start a fire and slow roast them like they deserve.
Being a cooking show watcher for more years than I care to admit (40), I have seen some chefs cook ribs in the oven. This seemed like a compromise to me and I don't like compromising in the kitchen. I like authentic, real food the way it should taste. Cooking ribs in the oven didn't seem like something I wanted to try, but try I did.
At Pats Marketplace in East Islip they had some nice looking ribs for $3.99 a pound, so I bought them.
Liking lots of flavor, I decided to marinate the ribs overnight in a dry rub. I usually look at recipes, then put my own take on them. I did that with my rub.
I rubbed the ribs (literally) and wrapped them in plastic and then aluminum foil and placed them in the refrigerator overnight.
The next night, the oven was set at 350 degrees C to start.
I unwrapped the ribs completely, discarded the plastic wrap and then wrapped them back up in the aluminum foil. Place the package on a half sheet pan and slipped in onto the top rack of the oven.
After roasting about 30-35 minutes, I unwrapped them and lowered the oven temperature to 325 and started applying BBQ sauce. I used Sweet Baby Ray's. Love that sauce. On the sweet side with a nice subtle kick to it. I applied the BBQ sauce every 15 minutes or so until the meat started to pull away from the bones. Overall cooking time was about 1 hour and 15 minutes. I am not sure, but I think there were about 3 pounds of ribs in the rack.
I served the ribs with some sauce on the side.
Let me tell you, it was a homerun! I loved them. My wife loved them. They came out tender and juicy with a nice bite to them; meaning they weren't mushy fall off the bone, like when you braise meat. I will definitely do this again and again and again during the winter and beyond!
I would recommend making your own rub, but here's mine. Next time I'll add cayenne to it for some heat.
Bob's Rib Rub
1/4 Cup - Light Brown Sugar (feel free to use dark brown)
1 TBS each of:
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Ground Cumin
Chili Powder (I used mild, but use what you like)
Ground Ginger
Dry Mustard
White Pepper
Lemon Pepper
2 TBS - Kosher Salt
1 tsp - Smoked Paprika (next time I'm bumping it to 1 TBS.)
Literally rub the rub in then put another layer of rub on top before wrapping the ribs to marinate overnight.
Enjoy!
Let me know how it comes out and what you used in YOUR rub!
