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Oven Baked BBQ Ribs

Meaty, saucy and perfectly juicy oven baked ribs.
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean
Keyword: barbeque, barbeque sauce, beef ribs, oven baked, pork ribs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: The Big Tasty Bite

Ingredients

Pork Ribs

  • 2/2.5 kg baby back pork ribs see note 1
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Pork Dry Rub

  • 2 ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp five spice
  • 1 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1 tsp dried Italian herb mix
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp salt

BBQ Sauce

  • 1 ½ cup tomato sauce
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses or brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper or hot sauce
  • ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce optional
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 160℃/320℉ and remove the membrane on the bony side.
  • Combine the dry rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the ribs, mostly on meaty side.
  • Place ribs on a tray in a single layer. Mix the water, honey and oil together and pour it underneath the ribs, cover with foil then bake for a minimum of 2 hours but if you have the time I'd recommend you do 3 hours. The meat will pull away from the bone and become more tender. Note: if you're using beef ribs, you'll need to bake them for 4-4hrs 30mins.
  • Meanwhile, place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until thickened. Adjust to taste: sweetness with molasses/honey, salt and ACV. Use for glazing ribs and as a sauce for serving.
  • Remove from oven, turn up to 180℃/350℉. Also, move the oven rack higher up if possible (closer to the boiler). Remove the water below the ribs, drizzle with olive oil, then return the ribs to the oven for 15 minutes or until rub it starts forming a nice crust.
  • Flip ribs so the bonier side is up. Slather with the BBQ sauce, then bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, then turn ribs over so the meaty side is up. Slather with BBQ sauce, bake for 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, glaze the ribs with the BBQ sauce and serve with the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.

Notes

  1. Ribs: Baby Back Ribs are ideal. Pork Spareribs also work well but reduce covered cook time to 1hr 10 min (as they are less meaty). Most ribs are 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.
    5. Pork ribs tenderness: this recipe is forgiving so don’t fret about exact timing here. At 1h 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. Beef Ribs: they'll take up to 3hours (total time of 4-4hrs 30minutes) longer to cook.
    6. To cook ribs on open flame: – I love making these on the BBQ when I’m entertaining! Here’s how: Follow recipe to end of Step 4 (i.e. 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 caramelized glaze.