Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Name: Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 serving
Ingredients: 2.5 tsp paprika powder; 2 tsp garlic powder; 1.5 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1.5 tsp dried thyme; 1.5 tsp dried oregano; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 - 2.5kg / 4 - 5lb pork ribs (2 racks); 3/4 cup sweet alcoholic apple cider (hard cider); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup; 1/2 cup water; 1 1/2 tbsp molasses; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 2 tsp mustard powder; 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper

User Reviews

5.0

681 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings
6
Calories
814 kcal
Course
Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine
American

Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Paige Becker

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Recipe video above. Barbecue pork ribs made in the oven! It's easy, the ribs are meltingly tender and it's packed full of flavour from the rub, braising the ribs in cider (see Note 1 for subs!) and the homemade barbecue sauce glaze! (Note: BBQ Sauce ingredients not consistet with the video!! Editing blunder - use ingredients listed in recipe below. Need to fix video!!)

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Ingredients

Servings

Barbecue Rub for Ribs:

2.5 tsp paprika powder
2 tsp garlic powder (sub with onion powder)
1.5 tsp onion powder (sub with garlic powder)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (omit for not spicy)
1.5 tsp dried thyme
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper

Ribs

2 - 2.5kg / 4 - 5lb pork ribs (2 racks)
3/4 cup sweet alcoholic apple cider (hard cider) , or apple juice (Note 2)
1 tbsp olive oil

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
1/2 cup water (or use remaining apple cider!)
1 1/2 tbsp molasses , orginal (not blackstrap, Note 4)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (optional, for spiciness)

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Instructions

Combine the Rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the ribs (most on meaty side). Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (all oven types).
Place ribs on a tray in a single layer. Pour apple cider underneath the ribs, cover with foil then bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the meat is pretty tender (Note 5).
Remove from oven, turn up to 180°C/350°F. Remove foil, drizzle with olive oil, then return ribs to oven for 15 minutes or until rub becomes nice and crusty.
Line a new tray with foil then baking / parchment paper (you'll thank me later).
Remove ribs from oven, transfer to lined tray. Pour any juices from tray over the ribs.
Flip ribs so the bonier side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, then bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, then turn ribs over so the meaty side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, bake 5 minutes. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you've got a thick glaze on the ribs.
Cut ribs into individual or multiple rib portions and serve with remaining Barbcue Sauce!

Barbecue Sauce

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until thickened.
Adjust to taste: sweetness with brown sugar / honey, salt and sour with vinegar. Use for glazing ribs and as a sauce for serving.

Notes

Ribs - Baby Back and St Louis Style Pork Ribs are ideal. Pork Spareribs also work well but reduce covered cook time to 1 hr 10 min (as they are less meaty).
In Australia, we do not (yet!) distinguish between various cuts of pork ribs. Most are a Baby Back / St Louis style hybrid or they are very skimpy Spare Ribs. Just look for meaty pork ribs that are nice and fatty, 2.5cm+ thick (including bone). They should have most meat on the upper side, and not much on the underside.
Avoid ribs cut so close to the bone there's barely any meat - miserable eating experience plus it's criminal to pay for 70% bone! (Tip: Ribs from Costco are actually TOO thick, and a bit lean. They work for this recipe but leftovers don't keep well. I go to Harris Farms, Costco and butchers)
Alcoholic apple cider - using an alcoholic drink adds extra depth of flavour. Pale coloured beers (ordinary larger, pale ale etc) and other fruit ciders also work really well.
Sub with apple juice as a non alcoholic option. And as a last resort, water can be used.
Vinegar - white wine or champagne vinegar also works well here. Plain white vinegar can also be used but reduce by 1 tbsp as it is a bit sharper.
Molasses adds an extra richness to the Barbecue Sauce and also deepens the sauce colour to the dark brown we know and love about barbecue sauce!
Substitutes (best first): dark corn syrup (not available in Aus), 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp golden syrup (though sauce colour will not be quite as dark), 2 tbsp normal brown sugar.
Pork ribs tenderness - this recipe is forgiving so don't fret about exact timing here! At 1 h 30 min, use 2 forks to check if you can pry the meat apart with little effort (but not yet "falling off the bone with a touch". Remember, they will get another 30 - 40 minutes in the oven!
To make on BBQ - I love making these on the BBQ when I'm entertaining! Here's how:
Nutrition assumes all the Barbecue Sauce is consumed which it probably won't be, also you lose some in the cooking process!
Follow recipe to end of Step 4 (ie 2nd baked uncovered to make Rub crusty)
Brush bony side of ribs with sauce, then cook on BBQ indirect heat on high (bony side up) with lid down for 5 minutes.
Flip so meaty side is up, baste, cook with lid down for 5 minutes. Repeat 3 times until you have a nice caramelised glaze!

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 814cal (41%) Carbohydrates 39g (13%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 55g (85%) Saturated Fat 18g (90%) Cholesterol 187mg (62%) Sodium 1733mg (72%) Potassium 964mg (28%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 33g (66%) Vitamin A 442IU (9%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 814 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	814cal	41%
Carbohydrates	39g	13%
Protein	38g	76%
Fat	55g	85%
Saturated Fat	18g	90%
Cholesterol	187mg	62%
Sodium	1733mg	72%
Potassium	964mg	21%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	33g	66%
Vitamin A	442IU	9%
Vitamin C	3mg	3%
Calcium	82mg	8%
Iron	3mg	17%