It's time to "rib" your best life!
True barbeque enthusiasts know that most enjoyable experiences in life pale in comparison to a rack of properly smoked ribs.
Graduation? Needs more ribs. Pool party? Needs more ribs. A child—pure of heart—singing a haunting yet uplifting song in the middle of a crisp snowfall whilst the bell tolls midnight on Chrismas Day? Ribs, please!
That said, smoking ribs can be a pretty tricky and time-consuming process. If you live in a townhouse or apartment, you may not have access to a grill or smoker with which to cook them outside. Enter: oven ribs. This recipe is a straightforward way to capture all of that smoked rib intensity from the comfort of your own home. Just follow the steps below and you'll be enjoying some ribs in no time!
Make a Dry Rub
Courtesy of PxFuel
You'll need:
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground mustard seed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
Combine these ingredients and toss to combine. Dry rubs are very forgiving, so feel free to adjust if there are extra flavors that you want to add to your ribs. This spice mixture stores well and can be used for a variety of meats, so feel free to prepare multiple portions and save any extra. Coat your ribs with the dry rub and wrap tightly in plastic wrap for the flavors to sink in. Refrigerate these ribs for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
Make a Barbeque Sauce
Courtesy of PxFuel
You'll need:
- 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups of ketchup
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of bright yellow mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- A dash of decent whiskey
Combine these ingredients in a pot or saucepan. Whisk to combine and cook at a light simmer for around 90 minutes, or until it's thick and syrupy. Like the dry rub, this can be made ahead of time and stored. Make sure to refrigerate while storing and reheat whenever you plan to make the ribs.
Time to Smoke
You'll need:
- Your rack of ribs (finally)
- Barbeque Sauce
- 1/2 cup smoky bourbon or whiskey
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke
Preheat your oven to 250° and place the ribs on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Combine your whiskey and liquid smoke and drizzle it evenly over the ribs. Wrap the entire affair (baking sheet and all) tightly in aluminum foil and bake it for 2 to 2.5 hours. When the meat is tender, uncover it, baste it with your barbeque sauce and continue to roast for another 1.5 hours.
Keep an eye on the oven and re-baste these ribs with sauce whenever the texture on the ribs starts to look dry and sticky. This will happen roughly every 30 minutes.
During your last 10 minutes of cooking, crank the oven heat as high as it will go to create a lovely crust on the outside of the ribs. Remove from the oven, give it one last brush with sauce, before slicing and serving.
Making oven ribs can be challenging, but the results are super rewarding. Have you tried making oven ribs at home? Let us know in the comments below!
