BBQ Ribs

American barbecue culture made spare ribs a backyard icon, cooked low and slow until the meat nearly falls from the bone. A brown-sugar spice rub and glossy BBQ sauce finish give these racks their sweet-smoky signature.

Serves 4

Estimate for one serving

• 620 cal
• 42g protein
• 28g carbs
• 38g fat
• 2g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 2 racks (about 4 lbs total) pork spare ribs
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 275°F (or prepare grill for indirect medium heat if cooking outdoors).
2. 2Remove the thin membrane from the back of each rib rack by sliding a knife under it and pulling it off.
3. 3In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne to create the dry rub.
4. 4Pat ribs dry with paper towels, then generously coat both sides with the dry rub, pressing it in.
5. 5Wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.
6. 6Bake in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone (or grill indirectly for the same time, maintaining 275°F).
7. 7Remove ribs from foil and increase oven temperature to 400°F (or prepare grill for direct high heat).
8. 8Mix BBQ sauce with apple cider vinegar to thin it slightly for glazing.
9. 9Brush ribs generously with the BBQ glaze on both sides.
10. 10Return to oven (or place on grill) for 10–15 minutes, flipping once and basting again halfway, until the glaze is sticky and caramelized.
11. 11Let ribs rest for 5 minutes, then slice between the bones into individual ribs or half-racks.
12. 12Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.