Who the **** Doesn't Love Ribs?
When it comes to the ultimate eat-with-your-hands-and-get-messy food, a delicious rack of baby back ribs is definitely up there with wings and burgers. Unfortunately, many people shy away from making them at home because they feel that they're too time consuming and complicated. Granted, they do adhere to the slow and low cooking method, their preparation takes no longer than 10 minutes. Most of the work is done in the oven with little need to intervene!
Liz and I have made this recipe at least 4 trillion times (give or take a few trillion) and are absolutely in love with the fall-off-the-bone tenderness of these baby back ribs. Of course, it doesn't hurt that our Maple Chipotle Mashup blend is phenomenal at creating a sweet and spicy crust that is just awesome! When grilling isn't an option (I know, hard to believe) we warm the house on cold winter nights with the incredible aroma of ribs!
This recipe uses the broiler briefly to get the surface of the ribs nice and caramelized before the heat is reduced. We don't use the broiler very often, but we're thinking we should with how awesome it forms that delicious crust on meats. Don't be afraid!
Give this recipe a whirl and post the results on Instagram #waywardgourmet and Twitter @WaywardGourmet. We'll post your creations on our home page feed! We love to see what you come up with.
What you'll need:- About 4-5 pounds of baby back ribs (whole, not cut up)
- Wayward Gourmet's Maple Chipotle Mashup Spice Blend
- Baking/Cookie Sheet
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Aluminum foil
- Tongs or bigass fork
- Knife
- An appetite for maple-y, chipolte-y deliciousness!
What you need to do:
- Prepare the baking/cookie sheet: Line a baking/cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the cooling rack on top. Place ribs meaty side up in a single layer on cooling rack. This lets heat get under the ribs for even cooking.
- Season: Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty! Take a generous handful of our Maple Chipotle Mashup Spice Blend and rub all over the surface of the ribs. (It's fun, right?). Note: You can season the ribs a day earlier for a deeper flavor. Just wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and keep in fridge til you're ready to cook.
- Broil: Move an oven rack a few inches from the top of your oven. Fire up your broiler and broil the ribs for around 4-6 minutes or until you see the sugars in the rub start to darken and caramelize.
- Bake: Turn off the broiler and move the ribs to a middle rack in the oven. Set to 300°F and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Tip: About halfway through cooking, cover the ribs with aluminum foil to keep these bad boys moist.
When you take the ribs out, they're going to be hot so it's a good idea to let them sit for 10 or so minutes before you cut and eat them. There may be some of you who are wondering where the BBQ sauce is. Although we're not opposed to sauces, we've found that the natural juices in the ribs mixing with the Spice Blend works incredible on its own. Enjoy!