When it comes to making the perfect rack of ribs, it can be a little intimidating if you've never tackled them. Whether it was your dad that was a star on the smoker and you just got to enjoy the fruit of his labor, or you've only had them at friends’ and family's barbecues, you too can make delectable, tender ribs for the whole crowd to enjoy as an appetizer or the star of the meal.
Maybe you're already a pro at ribs and just looking for extra tips to up your game. Either way, this article is for you!
Now, the most common way to prepare ribs is on the grill. However, you can also up your game by throwing them on the smoker, or you can even bake them in the oven in your kitchen. It's important to slow-cook ribs so that the meat comes out nice and tender, so make sure you budget at least 3.5 hours (preparation and cooking time) before you would like to have them ready.
Choosing your ribs
A good rib recipe begins at the butcher or grocery store. To begin, you want to choose fresh ribs that have not been previously frozen. Next, choose a slab with good coverage of meat on the surface, rather than a large surface covering of fat. Avoid ribs that have been cut too close to the bone so that no bones fall out in preparation or the cooking process.
There are many types of ribs: spare ribs, St. Louis-style, and baby back ribs are some of the most popular. Baby back ribs are cuts taken from the top part of the ribs that connect to the spine, while spare ribs are the lower cut of ribs. Typically, you'll find spare ribs in the form of a full rack at your local grocery store. `St. Louis-style ribs are from the same area of the rib cage as spare ribs, just with a different butchering and trimming process. Other types of ribs include country-style pork ribs, short ribs, boneless short ribs, and beef back ribs.
Preparing your ribs
First, leave your ribs out on the counter until they come to room temperature. This helps the ribs to cook more evenly throughout.
If you turn your rack of ribs over to the bone side, you will see a membrane, or silver skin, covering the bones. To remove this, use a butter knife in the middle section of the rack to cut a slit through the membrane, then use your fingers to pull the membrane across and off both ends of the slab.
Next, mix up a good rub. You can either go the sweet or savory route for a dry rub, including spices like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, and salt (depending on the flavor profile you are aiming for)
If you want your rub to stick on the ribs better, you can rub the slab of ribs with a thin layer of a binder like mustard, mayonnaise, or butter/oil before patting on a generous amount of rub on both sides of the slab of ribs.
Ways to Cook Your Ribs
1. Baking Ribs
Roast/Broil
Roasting and broiling ribs are our preferred methods of preparing ribs! To roast your ribs in the oven, preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a baking rack on top of the baking sheet, and then place ribs bone side down on top of the rack. Cover ribs in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours.
If you would like to add a glaze to your ribs, pull them out after 2 hours. Uncover the ribs and brush your choice of sauce on top of the ribs, making sure to cover the tips and sides of the ribs.
For a good glaze, you can either go with a store-bought barbecue sauce or make your own. To make your own, you want to mix an acidic ingredient like ketchup or mustard with something that adds sweetness, like honey or apple juice. If you are baking your ribs on a sheet pan but still want the smoky flavor, you can add a bit of liquid smoke to your glaze.
Once ribs are glazed, cover with aluminum foil and then bake for one more hour. Remove aluminum foil from the ribs and then set the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes or until the glaze is caramelized before removing from the oven and serving.
Braise/Broil
Braising is another excellent method for baking ribs, especially if you want them to be incredibly tender and flavorful. Here's how you can braise and broil your ribs:
First, take your seasoned ribs and place them in a slow cooker. Add some liquid to the pot, such as beef or chicken broth, red wine, or a combination of both. The liquid should partially cover the ribs. The liquid helps to keep the ribs moist and adds flavor during the braising process. Cover the pot with the lid and braise ribs for 6-8 hours, basting ribs with the braising liquid intermittently to keep ribs tender and flavorful.
Once ribs have completed the braising time, remove them from the oven and place them onto an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet. Brush ribs with your glaze/sauce, and place them in the oven on broil for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce begins to caramelize and char slightly. Make sure to keep a close eye on your ribs to prevent them from burning!
Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with any remaining glaze, letting the ribs rest for a few minutes before serving.
2. Grilling ribs
To smoke or grill your ribs, you'll want to remember the phrase "low and slow". For both smoking and grilling, you'll use indirect heat. On a gas grill, make sure you place the ribs on the side without a burner on.
Smoking
On your smoker, get the temperature to about 400-500 degrees where the coals are really hot and turn grey. (lids open, vents open) Throw your dry wood onto the smoker (hardwood, hickory, oak, etc) and let them begin to catch fire for a couple of minutes before placing your ribs (without aluminum foil) on the grate and then shutting the lid of the smoker. This will cut off oxygen to the fire and make the wood chips smoke.
Make sure you turn your vents almost all of the way down.
Your ribs will get the most flavor within the first 30 minutes of being on the smoker with heavy smoke. Make sure you have your ribs cooking on low heat with the grill reading around 250-275 for 2-2.5 hours (you may need to adjust your vents to make sure you maintain a heat of 250-275).
At this point, you can take your ribs out to baste them in your sauce, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, and place them back on the grill for another hour to an hour and a half.
Optional: you can finish your ribs on the grill or smoker for 30 minutes uncovered without aluminum foil!
Roasting/Grilling
Roasting and grilling are also great methods to prepare your ribs. This method starts with baking and then finishes the ribs off on the grill to get a nice caramelized edge.
To begin, pre-cook your ribs by roasting them covered in aluminum foil on a baking sheet in the oven for 2-2.5 hours. Take the ribs out of the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. While the ribs are resting, ignite your grill and bring it to a high temperature. Place your ribs directly on the grate, bone side down, and grill for 5-10 minutes on each side, or until a nice crust or grill marks develop. Make sure to baste your ribs with your sauce or glaze during the grilling process, turning and basting them periodically for even coating and caramelization.
Keep an eye on the ribs to prevent them from burning or charring, and then remove the ribs from the grill once caramelized to your liking.
Barbecuing
This method involves grilling your ribs low and slow for about 2-2.5 hours. Make sure you baste your ribs frequently to keep them juicy and tender, as well as turn them periodically to ensure even cooking. Remove ribs from the grill and let rest for a few minutes before serving, and feel free to brush any extra glaze you have left on top of ribs before serving.
Serving
For extra flavor, brush ribs with a thin layer of sauce before serving. Slice the ribs and serve them up to your guests! Feel free to pair some delicious sides that pair well with ribs like green beans, potato salad, Cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, grilled vegetables, or corn on the cob. Just make sure you have plenty of napkins or paper towels handy because no one has ever eaten ribs without an inevitable delicious saucy mess!
Storing ribs
If you happen to have any leftovers, you can wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in a gallon-sized bag to stick in the fridge for a couple of days, or skip the aluminum foil and freeze for up to a couple of months.
Next time you want to impress your friends and family with tender and flavorful ribs, check out our Oven-Baked Blackberry Bourbon Glazed Ribs recipe!
