Baby Back Ribs
I have been cooking ribs for parties for as long as I can remember. It is one of my favorite do-ahead recipes. I bake the ribs the day before and then slice them when cold into perfect single rib portions and gently reheat for serving. This is a 4th of July favorite but a lovely surprise in the winter months. I don’t title this recipe ‘Barbeque’ ribs - because - I don’t use the barbeque! And I don’t boil them either! When you boil - you spoil! Instead - a session in a low oven, covered, then slathered with barbeque sauce, back in the range, slathered one more time, and a final bake to yield a shellacked looking finish - delicious, succulent, tender, melt off the bone ribs to thrill your meat-eating friends.
Ingredients
- 1 Baby Back Rib
Spice Mix (about one tablespoon of each of the following - substitute your favorite dry rub mix here if you prefer)
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
To glaze the Ribs
- 1 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Remove the rib from the store packaging and dry it off with a paper towel. On the underside of the rib, there may be a thin membrane that covers the bones and runs down the entire length of the rib. If you can manage it, loosen the membrane off the bone on the narrow part - and using the paper towel, grab the membrane - and if you are lucky - it will pull off. It is not a big deal if you can’t get it off. It mainly cooks away.
- Rub both sides of the rib with the spice mix. Be generous. Then, line a baking pan with a 1-inch side with aluminum foil. It is best to use the large format foil - so it is one piece - this will make your clean-up a breeze.
- Lay the rib onto the foil-lined pan, and cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 ½ hour.
- Pour barbeque sauce down the rib and use a pastry brush to coat the entire rib evenly. Be generous.
- Return the rib to the oven, uncovered, and cook for ½ hour.
- Repeat with one final layer of barbeque sauce. Finish in the oven, uncovered, for the last ½ hour. Allow the ribs to cool completely. You can refrigerate them, and then the next day, you will be able to cut them into perfect single rib servings. I place the ribs back onto a clean foil-lined baking dish for reheating in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.