Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs

Tender, flavor-packed pork ribs are much easier than you think — all you need is an oven, some tin foil and a few hours.

Recipe by Catherine Neville (originally developed for Feast TV)

Serves 6 to 8

Dry Rub

  • 1/8 cup sweet paprika

  • 1/8 cup smoked paprika

  • ¾ cup brown sugar

  • 1 Tbsp salt

  • 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 Tbsp mustard powder

  • 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin

Barbecue Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 Tbsp chile powder

  • 2 tsp onion powder

  • 2 tsp mustard powder

  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper

  • ½ tsp nutmeg

  • pinch ground clove

  • 2 cups ketchup

  • 1/3 cup molasses

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

  • 1 Tbsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Ribs

  • 4 lbs baby back ribs

  • 1 cup dry rub (recipe below)

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce (recipe below)

| Preparation – Dry Rub | In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly. Rub may be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

| Preparation – Barbecue Sauce | In medium saucepan, heat oil before adding onion. Sauté until translucent and then add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add tomato paste, stirring to caramelize the sugars in paste. Add chile powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cayenne, nutmeg and clove and stir until fragrant and deep red.

Add ketchup, molasses, water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, salt and soy and stir to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

| Preparation – Ribs | Preheat oven to 350°F.

After removing membrane from ribs (if butcher hasn’t already), arrange ribs in double layer on aluminum foil. Sprinkle with dry rub and press (don’t actually rub) onto surface of meat. This can be done night before cooking for deeper seasoning. Wrap racks individually in foil (if you have more than 1) and set wrapped racks on baking sheets. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, until tender but not falling off bone.

About 30 minutes before end of cooking, remove foil and brush with barbecue sauce. Re-cover with foil. When ribs are finished and meat is pulling away from end of bones, brush on a bit more sauce and broil a couple of minutes to caramelize. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual rib sections. Serve with extra sauce on side.

Catherine Neville