Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs

 

Nothing really says summer like smoking, grilling or barbecuing ribs in the back yard or on the patio.  But let's face it, mother nature sometimes doesn't want to cooperate.  You have that taste for ribs, but it is rainy, too cold, or as often is the case here in Arizona summers, the temperature is too hot, over 110 degrees.  Who wants to cook outdoors in those conditions?

But there is an easy alternative, even in the most inclement of conditions - our kitchen ovens.  I like baby back ribs because they are more meaty, but spareribs will also turn out great in this recipe. As for dry rubs, there are many, from your favorite bottled dry rubs to home made.  And if those don't suit your tastes, even salt and pepper will work great.  Below I'll list the ingredients that I like to use for my custom dry rub.

Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Pork ribs a have a membrane on the bone side that I like to remove.  Some keep it on, but I find that my ribs come out more tender when this silver skin is removed.  To remove it, use a butter knife and push it under the membrane alongside one of the bones near the end of the rack.  Give it a tug up, then grasp the membrane with a paper towel and pull it away from the ribs.  Then pat the rack dry on both sides.

For a spice binder when I'm smoking outdoors I like to use plain old yellow mustard, spread lightly across both sides of the ribs. For indoor cooking, olive oil will give the ribs a nice crispy crust.  Use a brush to coat the ribs on both sides.

The Rub:

There are some great commercial dry rubs easily available in the supermarket.  I have used them, and have even used Old Bay, which works great too.  My favorite scratch-made rub is as follows:

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Procedure:

Season the oiled ribs generously on both sides with the rub.  Place the ribs on a large cookie sheet over aluminum foil, do not cover.  Bake the ribs on a middle rack for two hours at 350 degrees.  At the end of that time, carefully removed the ribs from the foil and replace it with new foil.  Turn up the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

While the oven heats up, place the ribs back on the cookie sheet and liberally brush on your favorite barbecue sauce. When the oven is at temperature place the ribs back in the oven for ten minutes.  Set a timer for this so it's not left in too long.

Now set the oven to broil and place the ribs on the top rack for three minutes.  It might be helpful set the timer once again.  Pull the ribs out and let them rest for a few minutes; they will be very hot.

Brush on more barbecue sauce and enjoy with baked barbecue beans and a creamy, crisp coleslaw.  These ribs are not the fall off the bone variety, but they are very tender.