Oven-Braised Baby Back Ribs with Sticky Broiled Bark

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Steakhouse-style baby back ribs without a smoker. A brown-sugar-and-paprika rub sets overnight, then the racks braise low and slow in a tight foil pouch with cider vinegar and apple juice until the meat pulls cleanly from the bone. A final blast under the broiler (or five minutes on a hot grill) lacquers on a tangy homemade sauce and builds the sticky, blistered bark that makes a $27 plate of ribs worth ordering.

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back ribs (about 2 to 2 1/2 lb each)
• 2 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 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder or cayenne
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard

• 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats
• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

• 2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens
• Flaky salt, for serving

Instructions

1. Prep the racks: pat the ribs dry. Slide a butter knife under the thin, papery membrane on the bone side at one end, lift a corner, grip it with a paper towel, and peel it off in one sheet. Trim any loose flaps of fat.
2. Make the rub: whisk the brown sugar, kosher salt, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dry mustard, and chipotle powder in a small bowl. Smear both racks all over with the yellow mustard (it is just glue, you will not taste it), then coat every surface generously with the rub, pressing it in.
3. Rest: set the racks on a rack-lined sheet pan, cover loosely, and refrigerate at least 1 hour and ideally 8 to 24 hours. Pull them out 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the lower third. Tear two 24-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil for each rack (or double up regular foil).
5. Wrap: lay a rack meat-side up on the foil. Scatter half the butter pats over the top, drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey, then pour 1/4 cup apple juice and 2 tablespoons cider vinegar around the base. Bring the foil up and crimp into a tightly sealed pouch, keeping the liquid in. Repeat with the second rack. Set both pouches seam-side up on a rimmed sheet pan.
6. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Start checking at 2 1/2 hours: carefully open a pouch (steam is hot) and probe between the bones with a skewer, which should slide in with almost no resistance. The meat should have pulled back about 1/4 inch from the bone ends. Thicker racks may need the full 3 hours.
7. Make the sauce while the ribs cook: combine the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Keep warm.
8. Drain and rest: open the pouches and pour the rib juices into a fat separator or heatproof measuring cup. Skim the fat and stir 3 tablespoons of the defatted juices into the sauce for depth. Let the racks sit uncovered for 10 minutes so the surface dries out — dry meat lacquers, wet meat steams.
9. Broil to finish: move an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Set the racks meat-side up on a foil-lined sheet pan. Brush with a thin coat of sauce and broil 3 to 4 minutes, until it tightens and darkens. Brush a second coat and broil 3 to 4 minutes more, watching constantly — the sugar goes from caramelized to burnt in under a minute. For grill finish instead: sauce the racks and cook over medium-direct heat, 400°F, meat-side down for 2 minutes, then flip, sauce again, and close the lid for 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Rest the ribs 5 to 10 minutes, then cut down between the bones with a sharp knife, slicing from the bone side where the gaps are visible. Pile on a platter, brush with a little more sauce, and scatter with scallion greens and flaky salt. Serve the remaining sauce alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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