Serving Perfect Ribs

At my first fresh free food event this past Saturday, one of the food items I featured was racks of mouth watering ribs. Some of the people at the event really wanted to know how I was able to cook those delicious crusty ribs with such a tender and moist center. This article explains how you can cook those same ribs at your home.

First, you’ll need a fresh rack of pork ribs. I tend to prefer the pork loin back cut rather than the spare rib variety due to the meatier nature of loin. A full rack weighs about three pounds and after cooking can serve up to three or four people depending on portion size. Just remember to keep your pork fresh, as it won’t last as a raw ingredient but a few days in your refrigerator.

1 The first step is to cut and season your ribs. Even though a full rack may seem like an appealing idea, you don’t want your ribs breaking apart while handling them with thongs. I recommend cutting the rack in half. A smaller rack will also make it easier to fit your ribs into baking and broiling pans later.

You want to then create a spicy rub and work it into your meat. I use my own cajun rub recipe which is provided below in the recipes section of this article. The rub really adds to the flavor of the meat, while the sauce applied before broiling creates that tasty crust.

2 Next you need to create foil packets for your ribs. These packets seal in the juices while the meat slowly cooks, resulting in flavorful tender pork loin.

Tear off a long portion of foil that is 2 and 1/4 the length of your rack. Make sure the shiny side of the foil is up, and center the meat in the foil laid out on your countertop.

3 Fold the foil along three of the edges to seal your meat into neat packets. Next using a shallow pan place your packets with the foil curl edges face up in the pan.

Depending on the size of your pan and the size of the rib portions you cut in step 1, you should be able to fit two or three packets in a pan.

4 Slow bake your ribs in the oven at 240° for 2½ to 3 hours. Place them in the middle of the oven rack and let them cook. If you want your meat to fall off the bones, cook them for 3 hours, or if you prefer them a bit more firm leave them in for only 2½ hours.

After baking prepare a broiling pan, get your wet sauce, a brush, a cutting board, and a pair of thongs handy. The wet sauce recipe is provided at the end of this article.

5 Take your baked rib packets and open one side. In your sink run hot water and slowly pour off the excess juice. If you want to keep the juice to make gravy, then pour it into a large quart sized pyrex measuring cup instead.

Place the baked ribs outside face up on a broiling pan. The pan should have an elevated grill to prevent any further juices from soaking into the ribs.

Finally, before broiling use a brush to cover both the front and back of your ribs with your wet sauce. I find it useful to just pour the sauce on each face, and use the brush to spread it out evenly. Don’t forget to cover the sides and back of your ribs. Leave them with the outside face up before broiling.

6 Turn your oven to broil and wait for it to come up to temperature. Place the ribs directly under the broiler and let them develop that yummy crispy crust. This should take about 6-7 minutes depending on your crispness preferences.

Take the ribs out and place them on top of the stove. You might be tempted to cut them up right away, but do not do this. You need to let them rest on the rack for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a large cutting board.

Use a good pair of thongs with soft rubber ends to gently grip the rib racks while transferring them to a cutting board. You can use those same thongs along with a large butcher style slicing knife to cut off individual ribs. Only cut off the number of ribs you’re serving in a portion, and leave the rest attached until you want to serve more.

7 Plate your rib portions and serve them up. I like to pair my ribs with a warm buttery biscuit and one side. At the fresh free meals event this past Saturday, I paired some plated ribs servings with a fresh feta, olive, and tomato bow tie pasta salad.

Prep Time

  • About 10 minutes for prep, and 3 hours of cooking

Cooking Times

  • Bake at 240° for 2½ to 3 hours
  • Broil for 6-7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pound rack of fresh pork loin back ribs

Cajun Rub

  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons ground paprika

Wet Sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 2½ teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

See Also