Make the best ever BBQ ribs with Steven

Make the best ever BBQ ribs with Steven

Based on 15 ratings
In app
Steven Edworthy

Steven Edworthy

Community member

"The sun has arrived and it is now officially barbecue season, so here’s a hands-off recipe for the smokiest, stickiest, melt-in-your-mouth-iest ribs you’ve ever had—and best of all, they can be made at home in your own humble oven (or al fresco on the grill, if you prefer). Everything can be prepared the night before—you can make the sauce, and dry-rub and wrap the ribs—so that you can just chuck them in the oven the next day. Here, I use baby back ribs (loin ribs), but if you were to use the same amount of spare ribs, which are meatier and fattier, you would need to cook them longer in the oven (approx. 30 minutes more) – watch the video to see me explain some of the differences. If you want to cook these ribs on the grill, I recommend baking them in the foil in the oven first, and then allowing them to rest for a few hours until you're ready to use them: This allows them to cool and firm up a bit, making them less likely to fall apart on the grill. After that, you can just finish them on the grill without the foil and apply a few layers of sauce—keep a spatula handy, just in case they start to stick! And if you’ve only ever had the sweet and thick “Kansas City” variety of barbecue sauce, this one might be a little bit thinner and tangier than what you're used to, but it contrasts perfectly with the rich, smoky meat. All-in-all, it's a recipe with minimum fuss, maximum flavour, and plenty of potential for sunny days!"
Difficulty
Medium 👍
Preparation
45 min
Baking
170 min
Resting
135 min

Ingredients

2Servings
MetricImperial
½ kg
baby back ribs
½ tbsp
brown sugar
½ tsp
salt
1 tsp
smoked paprika powder
½ tsp
garlic powder
¼ tsp
onion powder
¼ tsp
pepper
¼ tsp
dried thyme
¼ tsp
ground cumin
⅛ tsp
cayenne pepper
½ tbsp
oil
½ clove
garlic
½
onion
30 g
ketchup
30 g
bourbon
15 g
honey
1 tsp
mustard
1 tsp
molasses
1 tsp
apple cider vinegar
½ tsp
Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp
lemon juice
¼ tsp
Tabasco
salt
pepper
coleslaw (for serving)
sweet corn (for serving)

Utensils

3 bowls (small), aluminum foil, baking sheet, knife, cutting board, saucepan, spatula, whisk, tongs, pastry brush

Nutrition per serving

Cal958
Fat56 g
Protein53 g
Carb56 g

  • Step 1/5

    For the dry rub, mix together brown sugar, salt, half of the smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, black pepper, thyme, half of the cumin, and cayenne pepper. Peel off the membrane from the racks of ribs, discard, and then sprinkle all of the dry rub evenly over the ribs, flipping in between to cover the other side (watch the video for the technique). Wrap in a double-layered aluminum foil package, with the meaty side facing down and the seam of the foil at the top, making sure the edges are sealed. Allow to rest for a couple of hours or leave in the fridge overnight.
    • ½ tbsp brown sugar
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp smoked paprika powder
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp onion powder
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • ¼ tsp dried thyme
    • ⅛ tsp ground cumin
    • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
    • ½ kg baby back ribs
    • bowl (small)
    • aluminum foil

    For the dry rub, mix together brown sugar, salt, half of the smoked paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, black pepper, thyme, half of the cumin, and cayenne pepper. Peel off the membrane from the racks of ribs, discard, and then sprinkle all of the dry rub evenly over the ribs, flipping in between to cover the other side (watch the video for the technique). Wrap in a double-layered aluminum foil package, with the meaty side facing down and the seam of the foil at the top, making sure the edges are sealed. Allow to rest for a couple of hours or leave in the fridge overnight.

  • Step 2/5

    Preheat the oven to 110°C/230°F top/bottom heat. Place the rib packages on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, with the seam of the foil at the top, and bake for approx. 2 ½ hrs.
    • baking sheet

    Preheat the oven to 110°C/230°F top/bottom heat. Place the rib packages on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven, with the seam of the foil at the top, and bake for approx. 2 ½ hrs.

  • Step 3/5

    In the meantime, to make the sauce, finely grate onion and garlic. Heat oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and fry for approx. 4-5 min. Then, remove from the heat and stir through the rest of the smoked paprika and cumin for 10 seconds. Return to the heat and add ketchup, bourbon, honey, mustard, molasses, apple vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, and whisk together. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 min., until reduced by half. Whisk in some water to thin out to a saucy consistency and pour into a bowl.
    • ½ clove garlic
    • ½ onion
    • ½ tbsp oil
    • salt
    • pepper
    • ½ tsp smoked paprika powder
    • ⅛ tsp ground cumin
    • 30 g ketchup
    • 30 g bourbon
    • 15 g honey
    • 1 tsp mustard
    • 1 tsp molasses
    • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ tsp lemon juice
    • ¼ tsp Tabasco
    • knife
    • cutting board
    • saucepan
    • spatula
    • whisk
    • bowl (small)

    In the meantime, to make the sauce, finely grate onion and garlic. Heat oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and fry for approx. 4-5 min. Then, remove from the heat and stir through the rest of the smoked paprika and cumin for 10 seconds. Return to the heat and add ketchup, bourbon, honey, mustard, molasses, apple vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, and whisk together. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 min., until reduced by half. Whisk in some water to thin out to a saucy consistency and pour into a bowl.

  • Step 4/5

    After 2 ½ hrs., remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 15 min. In the meantime, heat the oven up to 220°C /430°F top/bottom heat. After the resting time, open the ribs package and pour out the excess liquid into a bowl. Then turn the ribs over, so that the meaty side is facing up. Remove any excess foil, and then return the ribs to the oven with the baking sheet on the highest shelf (as near to the heating element as possible) and bake for approx. 5 min., so a crust forms on the meat.
    • bowl (small)
    • tongs

    After 2 ½ hrs., remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 15 min. In the meantime, heat the oven up to 220°C /430°F top/bottom heat. After the resting time, open the ribs package and pour out the excess liquid into a bowl. Then turn the ribs over, so that the meaty side is facing up. Remove any excess foil, and then return the ribs to the oven with the baking sheet on the highest shelf (as near to the heating element as possible) and bake for approx. 5 min., so a crust forms on the meat.

  • Step 5/5

    Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with sauce, then return to the top shelf of the oven for another 5 min. Repeat this another two times, then remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest briefly. Serve with coleslaw and corn on the cob. Enjoy!
    • coleslaw (for serving)
    • sweet corn (for serving)
    • pastry brush

    Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with sauce, then return to the top shelf of the oven for another 5 min. Repeat this another two times, then remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest briefly. Serve with coleslaw and corn on the cob. Enjoy!

  • Enjoy your meal!

    Make the best ever BBQ ribs with Steven

Tags

More delicious ideas for you

    or
    To comment and share your experience, please sign up!