The Best BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipe on the Planet
By Mark Knowles
BBQ baby back ribs
I can’t really take complete credit for this barbecue baby back ribs recipe, because it comes out from a combination of several other barbecue ribs recipes. It is based on Alton Brown’s recipe which also comes out of several other recipes, so I guess credit for this one should go to all BBQers. Very American, this recipe. You almost never see bbq cooking anywhere in Europe, except at poor attempts at American style restaurants.
Grilled baby back ribs are possibly my favorite American food, and if you take the time to marinade the pork ribs and cook them slowly, you will end up with ribs that just fall off the bone. This recipe is fairly spicy and the end result is a tasty, medium hot rack of ribs. No question, this is the best way of cooking ribs. It is possible to cook them in an oven or gas grill, but by own personal preference is to use a Weber charcoal kettle BBQ grill with a lid. I have never been able to stomach the thought of a gas BBQ, but if you are using a gas one, be prepared to mess it up a little, the bbq sauce will drip on the grill. These particular ribs were used to introduce some of my French friends to the joys of American cooking and they were extremely popular. Despite the length of time taken, this is a really easy recipe. It just takes a little time, but is well worth the effort.
This serves 4-6 people.
More Awesome Recipes
Marinade and bbq sauce recipe
You will need:
Ingredients:
4 racks of pork baby back ribs
For the dry Rub:
- 8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon red or white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried jalapenos
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
For the braising Liquid:
- 2 cup white wine
- 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Equipment:
- A bowl
- A plastic bag
- A wooden spoon
- A saucepan
- A sharp knife
- A kettle grill (I prefer Weber, but any will do)
In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Place the ribs in a plastic bag (with no holes in it.) Pour the dry rub into the bag, close and shake well. Massage the dry rub into the meat, making sure all surfaces are covered. Refrigerate the ribs for 24 hours. You can do it for less time, but I have found 24 hours is optimum. When the ribs have marinated, there will be a liquid in the bag, coating the ribs. edit - leave this liquid in the bag and throw it away - do not use in the braising liquid.
To make the final bbq sauce, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid in a saucepan and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes. At the same time, turn the oven to a low heat (200-250)
How to cook baby back ribs
Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour a quarter of the braising liquid into each packet. Tilt the baking sheet to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the braising liquid back into the saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency.In my opinion, this is one of the ultimate bbq sauce recipes ever created - but I may be a little biased.
At this point, you can keep the ribs for a while before placing them on the grill. It is quite all right to do all this well before the BBQ or party. These ribs I kept in the fridge for two days before grilling them. They can even be frozen for later use if required. That way you can spend all the time with your guests instead of in the kitchen
Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place on the grill and cook for a few minutes until the glaze caramelizes lightly. You can do this under a broiler, but I much prefer the grill. Cut the ribs with a sharp knife into individual or two ribs, place in a bowl, pour the last of the glaze into the bowl and toss. Serve warm with French fries or hot bread and salad.
Bon Apetit!
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Comments
Wow, will definately have to try this out....and not on the propane grill! :-)
Barrel BBQ ftw!
LOl - It is awesome. And definitely no propane lol
Nothing better than slow cooked ribs on a charcoal bbq.
Thanks for the recipe I am going to try it out on the July holiday.
My pleasure.
Enjoy :)
Those ribs looks so good Mark by the way is there any chance that you might come to Australia and maybe showing me how to cook lol
lol
It is on my list of places to go that's for sure :)
Just follow the destructions LOL
Thanks Mark well you are welcome at my house anytime .
So, in keeping with the theme of this recipe coming from other recipes, I made this but changed it a bit. I discovered this page just 7 hours before dinner, so the ribs only marinated for 4 hours. I cooked them in gas oven at 350 for 2 hours, then added some barbecue sauce I made from a different recipe online when I grilled them. I was surprised that despite the shortened marinating time they were spectacular and the meat fell right off the bone. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
My pleasure - that is the great thing about cooking - there are a million "right" ways :)
What temp do you Braise the ribs in the oven?
Low - 200-250. I did actually remember to put that in - sometimes I forget LOL
cook in the oven for two hrs then warm up on the grill! what kind of recipe is that?
The best way to cook ribs - that kind of recipe.
Stunning recipe Mark, by far one of the best ways to cook ribs. I will admit that Bourbon basted ribs are my FAV, but you nearly changed my mind with this rich tasty version.
those who diss the propane have obviously never cooked on one or it was a crappy grill.....open your minds
Made these for my husband's birthday. The ribs were great, but after the braising sauce boiled down, it was so salty it was inedible.
Hey Monika - Never had that happen to me. Did you stick to the same ingredients I listed?
There is no tomato sauce in this recipe...this sauce reduced badly..the taste was even worst.TO DAMN SALTY!! ..waste of money and time..serves me right to not go with my culinary instincts...
I have made this dozens of times and never found it too salty. No - there is no tomato ketchup in this recipe. Not sure where the saltiness is coming from exactly - the sauce is basically white wine, honey and garlic so I am not sure where this saltiness comes from.
Perhaps the amount of salt in the rub needs to be adjusted. I'm looking forward to trying this, although it does look like one could do with 1 tablespoon of salt, as opposed to 3.
This is Alton Brown's recipe posted on food network. Shame!
LOL - No - it is not. LOL Guess you did not read it did you? What did I say in the opening paragraph?
No life huh? Aww - too bad.
This is not a good recipe. Way too salty. Ruined 3 racks of ribs.....unfortunately I didn't read others comments before cooking.
Odd - I Used this recipe again this weekend and it was perfectly fine.
It occurred to me that perhaps you used the liquid in the bag after the ribs had marinated?
Maybe I was not clear - this must be discarded when the braising is begun. The liquid in the bag after marinading MUST NOT BE USED IN THE BRAISING.
Maybe that is why your came out too salty? I have edited the recipe to reflect that.
Can you please clarify this for me. I cook the ribs with the braising sauce and THEN transfer the braising sauce (that was used to cook the ribs) to the sauce pan and simmer? Also, do I simmer the braising sauce at all prior to pouring it into the aluminum foil with the ribs?
Also, does it matter which type of White Wine is used?
Zac
Yes - it needs cooking first - "To make the final bbq sauce, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid in a saucepan and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes."
"Transfer the braising liquid back into the saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency."
Any white wine except and especially sweet desert wine will do fine. :)
The ribs were amazing! The sauce didn't work out, so I substituted Sweet Baby Rays instead. When the ribs were finished braising, there wasn't really enough sauce to transfer back into the saucepan (but I only cooked one rack of ribs so I only used 1/3 of the sauce). I'm sure they'll be even better with your homemade sauce. Will definitely give it another try next time! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Be sure to use Kosher salt, NOT table salt. This is why it turned out salty. Know how I know? Been there, done that. Get the precise ingredients.
Mine turned out salty too, though I followed recipe exactly. I think it was because the ribs (from Wal Mart) had the "solution" added to enhance flavor. Next time I'll make sure they are just plain ribs.
ANG SARAP NAMAN
HAHAHA .. KAGUTOM
Unfortunately I was not impressed. Tender yes, but the wine braise is something ill never try again. It completely masked(ruined) the flavor of the meat.
Hi there,
Just to clarify - I had one question that was similar to Zac's question:
"Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour a quarter of the braising liquid into each packet. Tilt the baking sheet to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer the braising liquid back into the saucepan."
The braising liquid that is being transferred to the saucepan, is that the braising liquid that is leftover from the original batch, the braising liquid that has been braising in the foil pouches for the last 2 hours, or both?
Thanks!
Kenny
Kenny,
It's only the braising liquid that has been braising in the foil pouches for the last two hours. I tried the recipe again and the sauced turned out. Wow, that sauce is impressive, let me tell ya! This is a killer recipe.
Sounds awesome! I LOVE BBQ baby back ribs, too. What time is dinner?
9 hours in to marinating, I truly cannot wait to light up the grill and throw them on it, the dry rub smells absolutely fantastic. Thanks Bud
Made them, and they were perfect! THX
This is a very common and great way to make ribs. For those saying it's too salty, you may be doing something wrong. The basic method is to start with a plain rack. Do NOT get ribs in a solution or sauce. Apply a rub and refrigerate overnight. It's hard to screw up a rub, start with brown sugar and add whatever you like. Salt, pepper, cayenne, chile powderm, cumin...combinations are endless. I usually toss in whatever I have handy. As for the braise, the white wine base comes from Alton's recipe. Another one I've used and liked is a beer base. Bottle of beer, some wocestershire, soy sauce, bit of mustard, minced garlic. Heck, you can even use water. The important thing is to wrap the ribs in foil and pour a liquid in so that they brase in the oven, not bake. If you don't like this braising liquid, just google ribs braising liquid, you'll find plenty. 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes at 250 degrees, then put some bbq sauce on and grill for a few minutes to caramelize.
Rub
Oven bake with a braising liquid
Finish on grill
It's simple and I've yet to find a better way to make them.
Is there a way you can cook them in the oven instead of on a Grill (BBQ) I don't have one but I want to use your recipe and i'm horrible at making my on concautions.
Any ideas?
I am sure a really hot oven - or under a broiler will work just fine. They are already fully cooked - you just need to crisp them up.
Thanks you for the tips, Mark.
I have experimented on 30 ribs already and fail.
This is my last hope.
Ribs were fantastic !!! Great Recipe
Mark Knowles 4 years ago
Yeah, me too.