Portions: 4 servings Calories: 1141kcal |
Do you love the taste of smoked fall-off-the-bone tender ribs? Now you can make these smoky tender ribs at home and be surprised that they can be better than restaurant BBQ ribs. I will show you how to cook the best pork ribs in the oven or grill.
By - Last revised . Original Jun 5, 2015.
Why I ❤️ it Recipe Ingredients Video Preparation
Smoky tender ribs.
Why I ❤️ it
You can be confident that this tender, smoky ribs recipe has been extensively tested and enjoyed in this home. It's one of the meat recipes that I am proudest of.
You'll love that they are fork tender, gently sweet, with a lovely smoky flavor.
Tender ribs recipe
This free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, and I receive a small commission when you purchase, at no cost to you. Thank you!
Utensils and tools
Ingredients
- 4 pound [1.81 kg] pork baby back ribs, a rack of ribs
- 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of smoke liquid
Spicy Rum BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups of sticky barbecue sauce; we have recipes for spicy rum bbq sauce, guava BBQ sauce, or Tamarind BBQ sauce
Video
Preparation
Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.
Step 1: Prepare
Heat oven to 225 ºF [107 ºC].
Using a knife, remove the membrane that sticks to the back of the ribs.
Step 2: Seasoning the ribs
Place on a baking tray with a wire rack. Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
Pour 6 cups of water into the tray but stop before it reaches the ribs. Pour the liquid smoke into the water.
Step 3: Cooking the ribs
Cover the tray with aluminum foil as tightly as possible, and roast covered for 4 hours.
The ribs should be cooked in the steam generated by the water.
Step 4: Brushing with sauce
Remove the ribs from the oven and uncover them. Discard any water left.
Brush the oven-baked ribs on both sides with the sauce using a brush. Save any sauce left for serving.
Step 4: Roasting or grilling
To cook in the broiler: Broil the ribs uncovered at maximum temperature for 5 minutes or until the sauce caramelizes and begins to brown.
To cook on the BBQ: Grill at the maximum temperature on both sides for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce caramelizes and begins to brown.
Top tips
- You can use spare ribs instead of baby back ribs; you may need to adjust the cooking time because they take a bit longer to cook than baby back ribs.
- I normally use dark rum for the sauce, but I have also used white in a pinch, and I liked both. Use the rum you have at hand.
- You can pre-cook the ribs and store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days. Slather with the sauce and grill or broil right before serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve with oven-fried potatoes, corn on the cob, yuca fries, or creamy mashed potatoes.
If you're looking for more ideas for your summer BBQ party, check out my this Dominican rib recipe, my favorite BBQ sauce recipes, and these great recipes for your cookout.
For dessert, try this whipping cream pound cake.
Nutritional information
Calories: 1141kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 81g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 254mg | Sodium: 3043mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3.3mg
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FAQs
What's the best way to make your ribs tender?
The best way to make ribs tender is to cook them over a long time at low temperature. Some recipes tenderize the ribs by boiling them, some by steaming, some by braising, some by roasting over low heat.
Are ribs supposed to be tender?
Before grilling or broiling ribs need to be already tender, they require long cooking at low temperature, and grilling cannot provide that.
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Tender Ribs [Recipe + Video] Smoky BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork ribs [1.81 kg]
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper freshly-cracked, or ground
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoon of smoke liquid (Affiliate Link)
- 2 cups BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Preparing
- Heat oven to 225 ºF [107 ºC].Using a knife, remove the membrane that sticks to the back of the ribs.
Seasoning ribs
- Place on a baking tray with a wire rack. Season the ribs with salt and pepper.Pour 6 cups of water into the tray but stop before it reaches the ribs. Pour the liquid smoke into the water.
Cooking the ribs
- Cover the tray with aluminum foil as tightly as possible, and roast covered for 4 hours.The ribs should be cooked in the steam generated by the water.
Brushing the ribs
- Remove the ribs from the oven and uncover them. Discard any water left.Brush the oven-baked ribs on both sides with the sauce using a brush. Save any sauce left for serving.
Roasting or broiling
- To cook in the broiler: Broil the ribs uncovered at maximum temperature for 5 minutes or until the sauce caramelizes and begins to brown.To cook on the BBQ: Grill at the maximum temperature on both sides for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce caramelizes and begins to brown.
Cook's notes
Nutrition
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By , published Jun 5, 2015 on Tia Clara
Great recipe, these were amazing, thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am glad you liked them, Jossie. 🙂
Is there a way to thicken the sauce? For some reason mine comes out watery.
Thanks!
It will depend on the consistency of the tomato sauce you use. You can heat it until it gets thicker, if you wish.
Very good recipe, I didn't put smoke but they were great.
Which dark sugar do you prefer?
Whichever you have at hand works. 🙂
What sauce should I use?
There are links to some sauces I recommend. 🙂