Baby Back Pork Ribs with Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce

barbecueribs Juicy melt in your-mouth oven baked Barbecue Ribs are fall off the bone delicious. Double up on incredible flavour with an easy to make dry rub first, then coat them in a seasoned barbecue sauce mixture so addictive you won’t stop at one. Finger licking good ribs right here.

Ribs:
2-2½ lbs baby back pork ribs
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup onion, finely diced
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat oven to 275°F (140°C/120°C fan, Gas Mark 1). Set aside a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and foil.

If the ribs still have the thin membrane covering the back of the rack, remove it. Season both sides of the ribs with a generous amount of salt and pepper. If you are using a spice rub, season the ribs with it now. Place the ribs, meat-side up, into a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. (It may be necessary to cut the ribs in half for them to fit into the pan).

Cover the pan or baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and then bake until the meat falls easily from the bones, about 2½-3½ hours. I check the ribs after 2 hours to see how they’re doing. Ribs are ready to come out of the oven when the meat is cooked through and tender. To check, pierce them with a sharp knife. There should be little to no resistance. You can also gently bend the ribs. If the meat looks like it will easily pull away from the bone, they’re ready.

Make the Barbeque Sauce:
While the ribs bake, make the barbecue sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add the ketchup, hot chili sauce, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, season with salt then cook for 2 minutes. Set aside in preparation for the ribs to finish roasting.

To Finish:
Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the aluminum foil and generously brush both sides with barbecue sauce.

Optional: Move an oven rack near the top of the oven. Turn broiler to high and broil the ribs for 3-4 minutes, just until the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize. (Keep a close eye on the ribs while they broil so the sauce does not burn.)

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Storing and Reheating: Store baked ribs, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze, wrapped in foil or freezer paper and in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then reheat. To reheat the ribs, wrap in foil or parchment paper and place into a 300°F (150°C/130°C fan, Gas Mark 2) oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. If you have some leftover, slather some extra sauce that’s been warmed over the ribs before serving.
Ribs: We call for baby back ribs in the recipe, but other ribs (spare ribs, country-style, St. Louis-style) will work with this recipe. Cook time should be similar. We recommend you check on the ribs while they cook to see how they are progressing.
Remove the membrane: Place the ribs meat-side-down on a cutting board. Locate the thin membrane covering the rack. Use a knife to gently slide under the membrane, then pull the membrane away from the bones using your fingers. If the membrane is slippery or difficult to remove, use a kitchen towel to hold it and pull.
Multiple Racks of Ribs: Cooking time should stay the same with multiple racks of ribs. I prefer to wrap each rack tightly with foil and then place them onto a large baking sheet. You can fit two racks on one baking sheet, so my oven can bake four racks at a time.
Ketchup: The BBQ sauce is best when made with thicker varieties of ketchup with no high fructose corn syrup added. You can use homemade ketchup, or we have found that organic or natural options like Hunt’s 100% Natural or Heinz Simply work nicely in this recipe.