Oven Cooked Ribs With Dry Rub

Intro: Oven Cooked Ribs With Dry Rub

EDIT: I've got a new spicy version of these ribs up - click here to see it.

Ribs slow cooked in the oven with a delicious dry rub! Super easy, and easily altered to suit your tastes. :D

Nearly every time I ask my boyfriend what he wants for dinner he says ribs, fried chicken, or barbeque. Even when we don't have any meat at all in the house. It's also important to note that we do not own a grill! He's determined.

Last time we went grocery shopping, he really wanted to buy ribs, so I made up my mind to learn to cook them in the oven. I originally wanted to go the "sauce-the-hell-outta-them" route because I had read that was easier for beginners, but Tyler was jonesing for a dry rub. So I had to figure that out as well.

Needless to say, they turned out well and I can't wait to make them again!

STEP 1: What You'll Need:

• a rack of ribs (I used the "baby back" variety)
• a baking sheet
• cooling racks or other wire racks to keep the meat above the baking sheet
• spices for dry rub (recipe on next step!)
• an oven set to 300 F

STEP 2: The Dry Rub

So I did a lot of looking around on the internets the day of cooking the ribs. Most recipes I found used these ingredients in varying amounts, and I just couldn't decide, so I made up my own. I have to say it's pretty amazing. Smells fantastic and tastes even better!

• 2 1/2 T chili powder
• 2 T ground cumin
• 1 T ground coriander
• slightly less than 1 T if using table or sea salt OR 1 T kosher salt
• 1 T paprika
• 1 T dark brown sugar
• 1/2 T freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

This makes about a cup of rub. You'll have enough left over for another use. I bet it would be fantastic on chicken too, and I'm kinda wanting to try it on roast potatoes. :)

STEP 3: Prep and Apply Dry Rub.

Preheat your oven to 300 F.

Clean your ribs by running them under warm water and patting dry.

Now - find a suitable dry rubbing area. I used a sheet of aluminum foil, but you could do parchment paper or a cutting board. Anything to give you a clean surface that'll make cleanup easier.

You're going to apply 1/4 C of dry rub on each side of the ribs. (I used a 1/4 cup scoop to dump it onto the ribs so there was no cross-contamination and I could store the rest of the rub with no worries!) Really work it in with your hands until everything is covered.

Then, place it on the rack bone side down.

(Note that you can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil as well for quicker cleanup... something I chose not to do because I always end up washing it like crazy anyway. :)

STEP 4: Cook for One Hour.

Make sure you have the ribs in the middle of the oven and that the oven's properly preheated. :)

After one hour, they'll come out looking like the picture above - starting to brown, lose a bit of fat, and the cut bones will begin to show as the meat cooks and shrinks.

Turn the tray and put the ribs back in the oven. Now we're going to start checking them every 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Additional Cooking Time.

You'll cook the ribs for two more hours, turning the tray every 30 minutes. (Remember not to turn the ribs over, just change the direction of the tray!)

The last picture shows them halfway through, the other pictures are the finished product. Make sure to let them rest a little while before you cut into them... mine sat around for about 15 minutes before I did anything with them.

STEP 6: EAT! and Additional Recommendations.

Get our your favorite barbeque sauce and get fancy. You can also slather it on them at the last minute and broil them a bit if you're into that. I was fine with dipping. :D

These went really well with fried squash and zucchini. Seriously delicious.

Also, while the ribs turned out excellent - super moist and flavorful to boot - I think I might drop the temperature to 275 F and cook them a little longer next time. Maybe four hours? I have a feeling they will only get better.

Comments

[Mike SF]

These look delicious.

A couple pro tips would be to remove the silver skin membrane on the bone side of the ribs before applying the rub...use the Google for instructions. This membrane inhibits flavor penetration and gets caught in your teeth as well as being hard to digest.

There is a lot of debate in the BBQ world about dry vs wet smoking...basically whether or not you introduce steam and how much into the equation. While you're not smoking (BBQing) here I think the moisture question is still in play. I'm a proponent of moisture...if you have a gas oven you're getting some moisture from the combustion if you are electric you aren't. In any case you might consider adding a water tray for steam. As always experimentation will determine the right setup for you. I personally add water to the drip pan in my smoker to add moisture and prevent drip fires.

You might also consider an extended resting period (1 hour) wrapped in foil + a towel and or in an empty cooler (no ice) this will further break down the collagen in the rack and produce that fall off the bone texture that is the goal of traditional BBQ.

"You don’t win friends with salad.” — Homer Simpson

[AmyW210]

Yes, yes and YES! I'm using an electric stove. Before I applied the rub, I smeared yellow mustard over the ribs...doesn't affect flavor much, but provides surface that the rub really adheres to. Adding a water bath below the tray at about 2.5 hours in after the bark forms.

[jessyratfink]

Thanks for letting me know about the membrane! I browsed so many books and websites before starting, but none told me to remove it. I kept thinking something looked off... but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, ha. I guess most people are able to buy them properly prepared and don't go shopping for them in the middle of the night. ;)

I do thankfully have a gas oven! And I think I will try your suggestion to add a little water to the pan next time... anything to make them even better!

The resting wrapped in foil is a good idea, too. Thank you so much for all your tips. You've really helped a noob out. :D

[Guitarguy1]

You can get away with leaving the membrane on the pork ribs, but beef ribs definitely needs it removed. I leave it on the pork rolibs all the time and it's fine. However, removing it helps for a couple reasons. One - flavor penetration and two - easier to chew. Also makes you looks like a pro.

[Booioooooooo]

"Looks" good....
Key phrase, but extremely disappointed in final result. Dry and too curry tasting.

[lacovara]

Hope the boyfriend appreciates your dedication to ribs. ;-)

[Starcraft98]

I used a recipe similar to this one since I had already mixed up my rub. I am thankful for the easy to follow instructions on how to and how long to bake the ribs. I don't own a a smoker grill and my brother who recently purchased a Camp Chef SG 24 DLX pro pellet grill lives 5 hours away. I have only attempted to prepare ribs in the oven once before. Today I had much better turn out. I have 1 more 3 pack of baby back ribs to prepare. I will be using this recipe you shared and I will let you know how they turn out.

[CPUDOCTHE1.]

I always use the grill. It adds a little smoke flavor to the meat. I tried the smoker once, but the extra smoke did not justify the extra time required. I set the grill to about 300 deg F, put the ribs bone side down for 45 minutes, flip it to meat side down for 30 minutes, then wrap it in foil meat side up and cook another 1 to 2 hours until done. I use the Weber KC Rib Rub. A little makes it good, more makes it pretty spicy.

[marksstudio]

You're a good girlfriend. That's important.

[Iraxy]

Eek. I was counting only on the 3 hr cooking and now I see you think maybe 4 hrs? Will let you know how it comes out. I am using my left over home made Santa Maria rub and some goodies from your rub. Keeping my fingers crossed but will tell you that I just put these guys in the oven and already the aroma is heady.

[AmyW210]

It's really important to remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs...if your ribs had too much "pull", it's because the membrane was still attached. Run a boning knife down the center of the membrane (lengthwise on the rack) and pry it off...it takes a little work, but once you get a bit off, the rest should peel right off behind it. I think 300 degrees is a little high for heat...I'm using your rub recipe and added a little ground espresso, also used smoked paprika...I'm cooking mine for 4.5 hrs at 250. I'll let you know how they turn out! The rub you suggested smells GREAT!

[CheninG]

Thank you for this! I have made it at least 6 times now and always get rave reviews! I do not remove the membrane and leave out the cayenne (for the kids) and it is always delicious!!

[AlanM185]

you must remove the membrane from the back side of rack....this is basic... do noy go above 295 degrees

[DCMooney]

I have made this recipe many times, and love it! I also use your dry-rub recipe on chicken thighs - delicious. I just keep a jar made up in my pantry at all times and use it often. Many recipes call for wrapping the ribs in foil, but I've done it your way each time with great success. Thanks for posting!

[DCMooney]

Did you ever try adding the water to the pan as suggested by another poster?

[cynliss]

My family loved this!! I found it super simple and easy. I thought the flavor was great all by itself. I served BBQ sauce on the side for those who wanted to use it. I did cook it at 275 degrees for only 3 1/2 hours. They were definitely done. I didn't even get a chance to bit into the bone because the meat had already fallen off the bone and onto my plate. I might even cook them a little less next time I make them. My boys are already asking "Mom, when are you going to make these again?"

[jessyratfink]

Oh yay!!! I'm so happy y'all enjoyed them :D

[Booioooooooo]

This was awful! Dry and too curry tasting. Waste of money for organic pork. ?

[puiggirl]

Im guessing you mean dry mustard for the rub?

[jessyratfink]

Yup!