These ribs are a staple for our summer BBQs and throughout the year. Paired with some crisp Cole slaw and mac n’ cheese and you would think you were in the South. BBQ is one of my husband’s favorite. Every year we pile into the car and head to South Carolina to visit my mom and without fail, Mark is on google researching BBQ places to stop along the way. Everyone in the family likes BBQ, even my picky 14-year-old son who won’t touch any kind of sauces (no ketchup, mustard or mayo for this kid) so it’s amazing to me that he will eat something with BBQ sauce. I think the credit for converting him goes to our dear friends Amy and Eric. Their son is our son’s BFF and we were lucky to socially distant BBQ with them this Summer and Eric made killer ribs. Jake tried them (never tried my ribs before!) and was sold so I had to see if he would eat mine.
My ribs are a variation of a recipe I saw in Bon Appetit years ago. It starts with a dry rub and then a few hours in the oven at a low temperature. I added brown sugar to the rub to balance some of the spices. After the oven they are pretty much cooked through, but I always thrown them on the grill to get that a crispy bark. If you don’t have a grill, they can go back into the oven with a little BBQ sauce because what would ribs be without the crispy bark. For extra crispy edged, I sometimes cut the ribs up before I top with sauce and put them back in the oven. If I’m being honest, ribs aren’t my favorite, but I must admit these are hard to pass up. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 Racks of baby back ribs
2 tbs Kosher salt
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1 tbs Dry mustard
1 tbs Paprika
½ tsp Chipotle pepper
1 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine salt, sugar, chipotle, mustard and paprika into a bowl. Place each rack meat side up on a double layer of heavy-duty tin foil and sprinkle the mixture on the ribs (both sides). Wrap the ribs tightly in foil and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 2 – 2 ½ hours. To check if they are done, wiggle one of the bones which should almost come right out. When they are ready, discard the juice. At this point you can store the ribs in the refrigerator for a day or two.
When ready to serve, finish them by placing the rib racks on a foil lined baking sheet. Generously brush with the BBQ sauce and place in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes. You can put them under the broiler for a minute or two to get the charred edges but watch them to avoid burning. I serve with a little more BBQ sauce for dipping. Mac n’ cheese and cole slaw are in my opinion, the very best side dishes for these ribs.
eyummykitchen.com 