Ribs cured, wrapped, and roasted low and slow until they pull apart, then glazed and browned to finish. Cook now or hold in the fridge for up to three days.
Barbecue Pork Ribs
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 2 racks of ribs
- BBQ Rub from the All-Purpose BBQ Spice Rub recipe
- BBQ Sauce same recipe
For the Rib Cure
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 75 g salt
- 5 g MSG optional
Instructions
For the Ribs
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by grabbing a corner with a paper towel and peeling it back.
- Combine the sugar, salt and MSG to make the cure.
- Weigh the pork and season with 3% of its weight in cure (2000g of ribs needs 60g of cure), distributed evenly.
- Let the cure sit on the ribs for 2 hours, or start cooking right away.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- Lay out a large sheet of foil with a smaller sheet of baking paper on top, big enough to fully wrap the ribs.
- Place each rack (or half rack) onto the centre of the baking paper.
- Season liberally with the spice rub on both sides, then wrap: fold the bottom of the paper over, fold in the sides, then fold the top over.
- Fold the foil over and crimp shut to seal.
- Place on a rack in the centre of the oven, crimped side up, and roast for 3 hours.
- Once cooked, carefully puncture the bottom of the packet over a bowl to collect the cooking liquid. Reserve it.
To Finish
- Finish immediately, or cool, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven or a lidded grill to 220°C.
- Lay the ribs on a lined tray and brush both sides liberally with barbecue sauce.
- Cook 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. For extra stickiness, add another coat of glaze every few minutes.
- Chop into individual ribs and serve immediately.
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil
- Baking Paper
- Tongs
- Pastry Brush
- Mixing Bowl
- Chef’s Knife
- Chopping board
Recipe Notes
For chewier ribs with more bite, cut the cooking time by an hour and taste-check. Measuring the cure by weight guarantees consistent seasoning every time, and applying it in advance draws out moisture and concentrates flavour. Ribs are high in fat and connective tissue and need low, slow cooking to fully tenderize. If you haven’t made the barbecue sauce yet, the reserved rib liquid can stand in for water in that recipe, or freeze it for a future soup or stew.
From the Chef
A day in the sun by the barbecue or a rainy day indoors, either way this one’s got you covered. Cook the ribs low and slow until you’ve got pull-apart perfection, in a domestic oven or off to the side of your grill.
Once cooled, they’ll hold in the fridge for up to three days, or you can finish them straight away. When you’re ready to eat, just glaze with barbecue sauce and brown under high heat.