Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs with Brown Sugar Rub
Low oven first to render the fat until it falls off the bone, then a broiler finish under a sticky glaze.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 3 hr 15 min
- Written
Method
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Preheat the oven to 300°F.
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Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne.
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Rub the mixture over both sides of each rack, pressing it into the meat.
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Wrap each rack tightly in foil and set on a rimmed baking sheet, meat side up.
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Bake until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends and a fork slides in with no resistance, about 2½ to 3 hours.
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Meanwhile, simmer the ketchup, vinegar, remaining brown sugar, Worcestershire, and minced garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until glossy and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
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Unwrap the ribs and heat the broiler.
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Brush both sides generously with the glaze and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the glaze bubbles and catches char in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Rest 5 minutes, then slice between the bones.
Notes
The membrane on the back of the rack is the one step people skip and regret — left on, it turns leathery and keeps the rub from getting in at all. Slide a butter knife under it at one corner, grip it with a paper towel, and peel it off in one piece.
Foil during the long bake is what keeps the ribs from drying out before they’re tender; save the open, dry heat for the glaze at the end so it tightens into something sticky instead of just melting off. Leftovers reheat well wrapped in foil at 300°F for 20 minutes.