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My Dad makes killer ribs; they’re tender but don’t fall apart. They’re smoky, but not overpowering. They’re spicy, but not too spicy. They have a wonderful char on them, but they aren’t burnt. In short, they’re pretty flawless – although I’m sure he’d argue otherwise. The only problem?? He uses a smoker, and I don’t own one. So, typically, that means I only get ribs when he makes them, or, as a close second, when I make the trek to our favorite barbecue joint, which, as you can imagine, isn’t often enough.
Can I let you in on a little secret I’ve recently discovered though?? You don’t actually NEED a smoker to make perfect ribs to serve at your next barbecue. You need an oven, a good quality cut of pork ribs, and a great recipe – and guess what? I’ve got the recipe. Bonus? Besides the ribs and one or two other ingredients, all the items you need are staples probably residing in your pantry this very moment.
As most rib recipes go, you want to start off with a super flavorful dry rub. I happen to love the combination of sweet and savory, so this one has lots of brown sugar for sweetness, paprika for a smokiness factor, garlic and onion powder, and dry mustard for a little extra undetectable savoriness. And of course, you also always want to use plenty of salt – food is nothing without salt (another secret).
Once the dry rub gets massaged – and I do mean literally massaged –into the entire rack of ribs, cover the ribs with foil, pop them into an oven on low heat, and cook them until the meat is fork-tender – about 2 to 3 hours for a 3-pound rack.
Next comes the sweet and spicy part, which again, couldn’t be easier. Cook store-bought barbecue sauce with a little bit of raspberry jam and a little bit of chipotle chili powder.
If you can, use a seedless jam, but if you can’t find any, and the seeds bug you, just strain them out in a sieve after the sauce simmers.
Once the flavors harmonize together and the sauce is thick, slather it onto the ribs and pop them under the broiler to char up a bit. Right before serving, slather them one more time, and serve the leftover sauce on the side.
Perfect pork ribs anyone can make!
- 1 rack (3½ lbs.) Kroger Moist and Tender Pork Back Ribs
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 2½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. dry mustard
- 1 bottle, your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce
- ¾ cup seedless raspberry preserves
- ¾ tsp. chipotle chili powder
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place two more pieces of foil large enough for the ribs to sit on and to be completely covered for baking.
- Turn the rack of ribs over, and, using your hands or a kitchen towel, pull the shiny membrane of the ribs off the meat. It should come off relatively easy. Flip the ribs back over.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dry mustard. Stir to combine. Massage the rub onto the rack of ribs, making sure to cover the top and bottom.
- Place ribs on foil and cover. Bake in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
- While the ribs bake, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, add barbecue sauce, raspberry preserves and chipotle powder. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Once the ribs are fork-tender, remove them from the oven and turn the heat up to a broil. Brush the ribs with sauce and place them under the broiler until the glaze is bubbling and hot. Remove the ribs from the oven and brush them with more sauce.
- Cut two ribs at a time. Serve them with the remaining raspberry barbecue sauce.
This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.
Christine @ WRY TOAST says
this is SUCH a Dave recipe, he would love this!!! pinned babe xo
Deb says
That is one cute baby. The ribs look good too!
FamilyNano says
The food on the table made my mouth water.