by Food & Wine
Food & Wine takes ribs seriously. Here are four of our tenderest, juiciest, most fall-off-the-bone rib recipes.
Slideshow: Rib Recipes
Apple-Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
These sticky, apple-scented ribs are cooked in the oven, then finished on the grill. They're a simpler version of a recipe by champion pit master Chris Lilly, author of the Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book, who cooks his ribs entirely on the grill. To follow Lilly's example, use a thermometer to keep the temperature at a steady 250° and wrap the ribs in foil after adding the apple cider mixture.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 teaspoons garlic salt
4 teaspoons pure ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup apple jelly, melted
1/4 cup honey
2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds total)
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 250°. In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the sugar with the garlic salt, chile powder, salt, black pepper, celery salt, cayenne, cinnamon and white pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the spice mix to a medium bowl and whisk in the cider, apple jelly, honey and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
2. Pull the membrane off the underside of each rib rack using a towel to grasp the corner. On a rimmed baking sheet, rub the ribs with the remaining spice mix; bake, meaty side up, for 2 1/2 hours. Pour the cider mixture over the ribs and turn to coat. Tightly cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
3. Light a grill. Uncover the ribs and brush with the barbecue sauce; grill over moderate heat, turning and brushing, until glazed, 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut between the bones and serve.
More Amazing Rib Recipes
Honey-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Whiskey Marinade
At Pok Pok, Andy Ricker roasts these meaty, tender ribs for two to three hours over a low fire for a fabulously smoky flavor. In this easy adaptation, the ribs are slow-cooked in the oven, then finished on the grill. Baby back ribs cut across the bone are the classic Thai choice, but whole ribs are just as delicious. Take a look at the recipe here.
More Amazing Ribs Recipes
Mo's Sticky Ribs
Fred Donnelly of Mogridder's BBQ makes these spectacularly sticky ribs at home. "Anyone you make them for falls in love with you," he says. See the recipe here.
More Amazing Rib Recipes
Pincho Ribs with Sherry Glaze
These ribs are named after Spanish snacks known as pinchos. Jason McCullar rubs them with a smoked-paprika spice blend, then lacquers them with a sherry-spiked glaze. For an ideal cocktail snack, look for riblets, a half portion of baby back ribs; they're especially meaty. Or ask your butcher to split your rib racks crosswise. Here's the recipe.
More Amazing Rib Recipes
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