Oven-Barbecued Ribs Worth Making
Cook's Illustrated, Jan 2006
Most oven rib recipes slather on smoke-flavored sauce for an ersatz barbecue experience. Could we get the smoky flavor and fork-tender texture of true barbecue indoors?
The Problem: When done right, ribs barbecued outdoors have a great smoky flavor and fork-tender texture. Most recipes for oven-baked ribs try to produce that barbecued flavor by slathering on smoke-flavored sauce, but there's a fundamental difference between ribs that taste of smoke and ribs that are smoked.
The Goal: We wanted to replicate the deep, rich flavor of outdoor barbecued ribs--indoors.
The Solution: We analyzed the market for commercial stovetop smokers, discovering that their design was so basic we could build our own. But we found that stovetop smoking created a number of problems: It was difficult to find a pan large enough to fit the ribs in one batch, wood chips are not readily available in the dead of winter, and the billowing smoke made the test kitchen reek of hickory for days. We could use the oven to solve two of these problems--it contained the smoke and it could hold a baking sheet large enough for the ribs to lie flat--but we couldn't get the oven hot enough to ignite the wood. We looked to the east for our solution. Chinese cooks smoke a variety of foodstuffs over smoldering black tea, and we discovered that the strong-tasting Lapsang Souchong perfumed the ribs with a rich smokiness, even when the oven was kept at a temperature low enough (250 degrees) to keep the ribs fork-tender. We boosted the flavor with a homemade spice rub.
OVEN-BARBECUED SPARERIBS
To make this recipe, you will need a baking stone, a sturdy baking sheet with a 1-inch rim, and a wire cooling rack that fits inside it. It’s fine if the ribs overlap slightly on the rack. In step 1, removing the surface fat keeps the ribs from being too greasy. And, removing the membrane from the ribs allows the smoke to penetrate both sides of the racks and also makes the ribs easier to eat. Note that the ribs must be coated with the rub and refrigerated at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours ahead of cooking. Be careful when opening the crimped foil to add the juice, as hot steam and smoke will billow out. If desired, serve the ribs with Quick Barbecue Sauce (see related recipe) or your favorite store-bought brand.
Serves 4
Rub
6 tablespoons mustard (yellow)
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Ribs
2 racks St. Louis-style spareribs , 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each, trimmed of surface fat, membrane removed (see illustrations below), each rack cut in half
1/4 cup Lapsang Souchong tea leaves (finely ground)—from about 10 tea bags, or 1/2 cup loose tea leaves ground to a powder in a spice grinder)
1/2 Cup apple juice
1. For the Rub: Combine mustard, ketchup, and garlic in small bowl; combine pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and sugar in separate small bowl. Spread mustard mixture in thin, even layer over both sides of ribs; coat both sides with spice mixture, then wrap ribs in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
2. Transfer ribs from refrigerator to freezer for 45 minutes. Adjust one oven rack to lowest position and second rack to upper-middle position (at least 5 inches below broiler). Place baking stone on lower rack; heat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle ground tea evenly over bottom of rimmed baking sheet; set wire rack on sheet. Place ribs meat side up on rack and cover with heavy-duty foil, crimping edges tightly to seal. Roast ribs directly on stone for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, leaving oven door open for 1 minute to cool. While oven is open, carefully open one corner of foil and pour apple juice into bottom of baking sheet; reseal foil. Continue to roast until meat is very tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 1 1/2 hours. (Begin to check ribs after 1 hour; leave loosely covered with foil for remaining cooking time.)
3. Remove foil and carefully flip racks bone side up; place baking sheet on upper-middle oven rack. Turn on broiler; cook ribs until well browned and crispy in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip ribs meat side up and cook until well browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.
STEP BY STEP: Homemade Indoor Smoker
You can crowd ribs or duck into an indoor smoker, but we prefer our roomier makeshift version. Spread tea leaves on a rimmed baking sheet, place a wire cooling rack on top, followed by the ribs or duck and heavy-duty foil. A pizza stone gets the tea smoking quickly.
STEP BY STEP: Choosing Pork Ribs
Spareribs: Ribs from near the pig's fatty belly. An acceptable choice, but needs a fair amount of home trimming.
St. Louis Style: Spareribs that have been trimmed of skirt meat and excess cartilage. Minimal fuss-our top choice.
Baby Back: Smaller, leaner ribs from the (adult) pig's back. Tender, but the meat dries out too quickly for our recipe.
STEP BY STEP: Removing the Membrane
For this recipe, we recommend removing the thin membrane that lines the concave side of the rib rack. The ribs are easier to manipulate (and eat), and the smoke penetrates both sides of the rack directly.
1. Insert spoon handle between membrane and ribs to loosen slightly.
2. Using paper towel, grasp loosened membrane and pull away gently to remove.
Cook's Illustrated, Jan 2006
Most oven rib recipes slather on smoke-flavored sauce for an ersatz barbecue experience. Could we get the smoky flavor and fork-tender texture of true barbecue indoors?
The Problem: When done right, ribs barbecued outdoors have a great smoky flavor and fork-tender texture. Most recipes for oven-baked ribs try to produce that barbecued flavor by slathering on smoke-flavored sauce, but there's a fundamental difference between ribs that taste of smoke and ribs that are smoked.
The Goal: We wanted to replicate the deep, rich flavor of outdoor barbecued ribs--indoors.
The Solution: We analyzed the market for commercial stovetop smokers, discovering that their design was so basic we could build our own. But we found that stovetop smoking created a number of problems: It was difficult to find a pan large enough to fit the ribs in one batch, wood chips are not readily available in the dead of winter, and the billowing smoke made the test kitchen reek of hickory for days. We could use the oven to solve two of these problems--it contained the smoke and it could hold a baking sheet large enough for the ribs to lie flat--but we couldn't get the oven hot enough to ignite the wood. We looked to the east for our solution. Chinese cooks smoke a variety of foodstuffs over smoldering black tea, and we discovered that the strong-tasting Lapsang Souchong perfumed the ribs with a rich smokiness, even when the oven was kept at a temperature low enough (250 degrees) to keep the ribs fork-tender. We boosted the flavor with a homemade spice rub.
OVEN-BARBECUED SPARERIBS
To make this recipe, you will need a baking stone, a sturdy baking sheet with a 1-inch rim, and a wire cooling rack that fits inside it. It’s fine if the ribs overlap slightly on the rack. In step 1, removing the surface fat keeps the ribs from being too greasy. And, removing the membrane from the ribs allows the smoke to penetrate both sides of the racks and also makes the ribs easier to eat. Note that the ribs must be coated with the rub and refrigerated at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours ahead of cooking. Be careful when opening the crimped foil to add the juice, as hot steam and smoke will billow out. If desired, serve the ribs with Quick Barbecue Sauce (see related recipe) or your favorite store-bought brand.
Serves 4
Rub
6 tablespoons mustard (yellow)
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Ribs
2 racks St. Louis-style spareribs , 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each, trimmed of surface fat, membrane removed (see illustrations below), each rack cut in half
1/4 cup Lapsang Souchong tea leaves (finely ground)—from about 10 tea bags, or 1/2 cup loose tea leaves ground to a powder in a spice grinder)
1/2 Cup apple juice
1. For the Rub: Combine mustard, ketchup, and garlic in small bowl; combine pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and sugar in separate small bowl. Spread mustard mixture in thin, even layer over both sides of ribs; coat both sides with spice mixture, then wrap ribs in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
2. Transfer ribs from refrigerator to freezer for 45 minutes. Adjust one oven rack to lowest position and second rack to upper-middle position (at least 5 inches below broiler). Place baking stone on lower rack; heat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle ground tea evenly over bottom of rimmed baking sheet; set wire rack on sheet. Place ribs meat side up on rack and cover with heavy-duty foil, crimping edges tightly to seal. Roast ribs directly on stone for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, leaving oven door open for 1 minute to cool. While oven is open, carefully open one corner of foil and pour apple juice into bottom of baking sheet; reseal foil. Continue to roast until meat is very tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 1 1/2 hours. (Begin to check ribs after 1 hour; leave loosely covered with foil for remaining cooking time.)
3. Remove foil and carefully flip racks bone side up; place baking sheet on upper-middle oven rack. Turn on broiler; cook ribs until well browned and crispy in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip ribs meat side up and cook until well browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.
STEP BY STEP: Homemade Indoor Smoker
You can crowd ribs or duck into an indoor smoker, but we prefer our roomier makeshift version. Spread tea leaves on a rimmed baking sheet, place a wire cooling rack on top, followed by the ribs or duck and heavy-duty foil. A pizza stone gets the tea smoking quickly.
STEP BY STEP: Choosing Pork Ribs
Spareribs: Ribs from near the pig's fatty belly. An acceptable choice, but needs a fair amount of home trimming.
St. Louis Style: Spareribs that have been trimmed of skirt meat and excess cartilage. Minimal fuss-our top choice.
Baby Back: Smaller, leaner ribs from the (adult) pig's back. Tender, but the meat dries out too quickly for our recipe.
STEP BY STEP: Removing the Membrane
For this recipe, we recommend removing the thin membrane that lines the concave side of the rib rack. The ribs are easier to manipulate (and eat), and the smoke penetrates both sides of the rack directly.
1. Insert spoon handle between membrane and ribs to loosen slightly.
2. Using paper towel, grasp loosened membrane and pull away gently to remove.