Low-and-Slow Oven BBQ Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Baby back ribs get a brown sugar-paprika rub, then bake sealed in foil at a low temperature until the meat pulls back from the bone. A quick homemade sauce goes on at the end and caramelizes under the broiler in minutes, giving you the sticky, slightly charred bark of a smokehouse rack with nothing but an oven and a sheet pan.

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 2 1/2 lb each)
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

• 3 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Instructions

1. Pat the ribs dry. Slide a butter knife under the thin membrane on the bone side of each rack at one end, grip the loosened edge with a paper towel, and peel it off in one sheet. Trim any large flaps of loose fat.
2. Rub each rack all over with 1 teaspoon yellow mustard — just enough to make the surface tacky. Whisk together all dry rub ingredients and coat both sides generously, pressing it in. Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate uncovered up to 12 hours for a drier, better bark).
3. Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Tear two 24-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil for each rack. Set a rack meat side up on the doubled foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, lay 1 tablespoon of sliced butter on top, and wrap tightly, crimping the seams upward so no juice escapes. Repeat with the second rack.
4. Set both foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 2 hours 30 minutes for baby backs (3 hours if your racks are over 3 lb or you're using St. Louis-cut spareribs).
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat.
6. Carefully open one packet (watch for steam) and test doneness: a toothpick should slide into the meat between the bones with almost no resistance, and the meat should have pulled back about 1/4 inch from the bone tips. If not, re-seal and bake another 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Open the packets and pour off the rendered liquid into a bowl, reserving it. Move the ribs meat side up directly onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Brush a thin coat of sauce over the top of each rack and let them rest 10 minutes while you set the oven to broil on high, with a rack about 6 inches from the element.
8. Broil the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce tightens and darkens at the edges. Brush on a second thin coat and broil 3 to 4 minutes more, rotating the pan once, until the glaze is bubbling with a few blackened spots. Watch continuously — the sugar goes from caramelized to burnt in under a minute.
9. Rest the racks 10 minutes on a cutting board, then cut between the bones with a sharp knife, slicing from the bone side where the gaps are visible. Skim the fat off the reserved cooking liquid and stir 2 tablespoons of it into the remaining sauce for serving alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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