I love having dinner parties for my friends. It allows me to incorporate quality time with friends and my love for trying new recipes. Each dinner party I choose one recipe that I know is a show stopper and then the other recipes are a first-time gamble. For the last dinner party that I threw, I themed the menu around this spiced rib recipe that I knew was going to be a hit. This recipe combines slow roasting the ribs in a plethora of spices and creating a BBQ sauce that involves juice from the ribs as well as the reserved spice mixture. And then lathering the ribs in your homemade sauce and throwing them back in the oven to broil for delicious fall off the bone ribs every time!
I have taken pictures every step of the way to help guide you through the process of making this show stopping oven baked ribs recipe. Scroll down for the recipe in a traditional format with the ingredients and instructions listed.
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the seasonings: 4 Tablespoons brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons smoked paprika, 4 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 4 teaspoons dry ground mustard, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon celery salt and 2 Tablespoons sea salt.
2. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the rub (it will be used in the BBQ sauce).
3. Cut each slab of rib into 3 or 4 pieces and place them on aluminum foil.
4. Pat the rub onto the ribs on both sides, then place them meat side down.
5. Individually wrap each section of rib tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 2½ - 3 hours or until the meat is tender but not completely falling off the bone (some ribs may require up to 3½ hours). Remove ½ cup of the juices that have accumulated and set aside.
6. To make the BBQ sauce: in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1 can tomato sauce, 1 cup honey, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup reserved juices and 2 Tablespoons reserved spice rub. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
IF ending in the oven:
7. Remove ribs from the oven and carefully unwrap. Remove ribs from the foil completely and place back onto the baking sheet, meat side up. Turn broiler on high in oven. Brush sauce over the meaty side of the ribs and place under broiler for 4 to 5 minutes or until caramelized and the edges begin to crisp.
8. Remove from broiler and allow ribs to rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with more sauce on the side.
Spiced Oven Baked Ribs
Yields 6-8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 2 racks of pork spareribs, roughly 3-4 pounds each
- 4 tbsp. brown sugar
- 4 tbsp. smoked paprika
- 4 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp. dry ground mustard
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 4 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. celery salt
- 2 tbsp. sea salt
For the BBQ sauce:
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 c. honey
- ⅓ c. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. pineapple juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ c. reserved juices
- 1 tbsp. reserved spice rub
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small bowl combine the seasonings: 4 tbsp. brown sugar, 4 tbsp. smoked paprika, 4 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 4 tsp. dry ground mustard, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 4 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. celery salt, 2 tbsp. sea salt
- Set aside 2 tbsp. of the rub (it will be used in the BBQ sauce).
- Cut each slab of rib into 3 or 4 pieces and place them on aluminum foil.
- Pat the rub onto the ribs on both sides, then place them meat side down.
- Individually wrap each section of rib tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 2½ - 3 hours or until the meat is tender but not completely falling off the bone (some ribs may require up to 3½ hours). Remove ½ cup of the juices that have accumulated and set aside.
- To make the BBQ sauce: in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1 can tomato sauce, 1 c. honey, ⅓ c. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp. pineapple juice, 3 cloves garlic, ½ c. reserved juices and 2 tbsp. reserved spice rub. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
IF ending in the oven:
- Remove ribs from the oven and carefully unwrap. Remove ribs from the foil completely and place back onto the baking sheet, meat side up. Turn broiler on high in oven. Brush sauce over the meaty side of the ribs and place under broiler for 4 to 5 minutes or until caramelized and the edges begin to crisp.
- Remove from broiler and allow ribs to rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with more sauce on the side.
IF ending on the grill:
- Heat a grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cover the ribs with the BBQ sauce and place them on the grill. Cook them until they are charred on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.
This is a recipe is adapted from Natalie Dicks.
If you are looking for more Southern inspiration, check out The Chopping Block's Summer Southern Comfort class coming up on Sunday, June 23 10am Lincoln Square.
You'll learn to make:
- Ultimate Barbecued Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Four Cheese Skillet Mac-n-Cheese
- Bacony Baked Beans
- Creamy Cabbage Slaw
- Seasonal Fruit Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
If you are looking to improve your grilling skills, check out the following upcoming grilling classes:
Jamaican Grill:
- Sunday, July 7 10:30am-1pm
- Wednesday, July 31 6:30pm-9pm
- Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad
- Citrus Marinated Shrimp with Grilled Scallions and Mango-Habanero Relish
- Jerk-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Grilled Pineapple Slaw
- Coconut Rice with Gandules (Pigeon Peas)
- Rum-Glazed Grilled Plantains with Ice Cream
Date Night on the Patio:
- Saturday, July 20 6pm-8:30pm
- Friday, August 2 6:30pm-9pm
- Rosé Sangria
- Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons and Shaved Parmesan
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Peppers, Capers and Pine Nuts
- Farro Salad with Grilled Corn, Tomatoes and Basil Vinaigrette
- Grilled Pound Cake Panini with Bananas and Nutella
