Best Chef Bob Wardens Baby Back Ribs Recipes

NO-FUSS BAKED BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• For the ribs: Mix together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, brown sugar, ginger, pinch of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a large measuring cup. Arrange the ribs in a roasting pan, hotel pan or baking dish large enough to fit them all. Pour the marinade over the ribs. Toss and flip until all the ribs are coated. Marinate 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Place 2 racks of ribs on each baking sheet, meat-side up. Brush with any remaining marinade left behind in the roasting pan. Cover with more foil. Bake for 2 hours.
• For the Carolina moppin' sauce: Meanwhile, put the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and tomato sauce in a large saucepan and whisk until completely combined. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 1 hour.
• Uncover the ribs and drain off the fat, reserving for another use (see Cook's Note). Mop or brush the sauce on both sides, returning the ribs to meat-side up. Raise the oven to 300 degrees F and bake the ribs, uncovered, until the meat is tender and the sauce begins to caramelize, about 1 more hour.
• Mop the ribs again on both sides. Raise the oven to 375 degrees F and bake the ribs, uncovered and adding more sauce as it absorbs, until the meat gets brown and caramelized, about 1 hour more. Cut the ribs into individual pieces. Use the remaining sauce for serving, or keep in the refrigerator for later use.

BAKED BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chipotle chile powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, seafood seasoning and black pepper.
• Place each slab of ribs on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fold over and seal, then place on a baking sheet. Do not seal the ribs in the foil yet (see Cook's Note). Generously sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the ribs. Place in the refrigerator, meat-side down and uncovered, for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Worcestershire and minced garlic. Pour half the liquid over each slab and tightly seal each in the aluminum foil, crimping the edges to make a packet.
• Transfer the foil packets and baking sheet to the oven and bake until the meat is tender and starts to pull away from the bones, about 2 hours.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Carefully open the aluminum packets and pour the braising liquid into a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat until it becomes a thick and syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes.
• While the braising liquid reduces, line a baking sheet with foil and gently transfer the ribs to it. Position a rack on the top level of the oven and preheat the broiler.
• Using a pastry brush, generously brush the ribs with about half the glaze. Place the ribs under the broiler for about 1 minute. Brush with the remaining glaze and return to the broiled until charred in spots, about 1 minute more. Slice each rack between the bones into 2-rib portions and serve.

BABY BACK RIBS (SMOKER, OVEN, OR OVEN-TO-GRILL)

Steps:

• Make the Spice Rub: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, ground mustard, and cayenne pepper.
• Preheat the smoker to 225°F or the oven to 300°F. (If using the oven, set one rack in the middle position and one rack in the top position.)
• Remove the membrane that coats the underside of each rack of ribs. Using a butter knife, loosen the membrane around one of the end bones, scraping it away from the ribs. Once you get under it, grab the membrane with a paper towel and peel it off. If you're lucky, it will come off all in one piece. (Alternatively, ask your butcher to do this for you.)
• Coat the ribs evenly on both sides with about half of the spice rub. Allow the ribs to sit for about 15 minutes to "sweat" and absorb the rub, then coat the racks with the remainder of the rub. It will seem like too much rub but it's not - use it all.
• Smoker Method: Place the spice-coated ribs in the smoker and cook for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the smoker and double wrap each rack in heavy-duty foil. Return to the smoker for 1½ hours. Remove the foil-wrapped ribs from the smoker (hot grease may drip out of the foil, so be careful). Carefully unwrap, leaving the ribs on the foil, and brush to the top of each rack with about 3 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce. Fold the edges of the foil around the ribs, creating a makeshift "pan" for each rack. Place the racks back in the smoker on the foil and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour more, or until the racks are tender. To determine if they're done, lift them from the center with tongs - if they bend easily and the meat "cracks" on top, they are ready. Let the ribs cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
• Oven or Oven-to-Grill Method: Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the spice-coated ribs on the prepared pan, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake until tender, about 2 hours. Turn the oven to broil. Remove the foil from the ribs and brush each rack with 3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce. Broil until the sauce just starts to bubble and caramelize, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on the ribs while they're under the broiler; because of the sugar in the rub and sauce, they will quickly go from nicely caramelized to burnt. (Alternatively, you can skip the broiling and finish the ribs on the grill. Preheat the grill to medium and grill the baked racks for 10 to 15 minutes, brushing occasionally with the BBQ sauce until charred in spots and heated through. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent burning.) Let the ribs cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
• Reheating/Freezing Instructions:The cooked ribs will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the ribs overnight in refrigerator if necessary, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the ribs with another layer of BBQ sauce and cover tightly with foil. Warm in a 250°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until warmed through. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the sauce to set and the bark to crisp up.

CHEF BOB WARDEN'S BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Using jar barbecue sauce: My Stick to Your Ribs BBQ sauce is extra thick to withstand the extra liquid of pressure cooking, but you can use a bottle of your favorite sauce and 4 tablespoons tomato paste in its place for the same spectacular results. Or if you are making your own sauce: Mix all ingredients (except ribs & 1/2 cup water) in mixing bowl or large jar and mix until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of water to pressure cooker. Cut 3 pounds of baby back pork ribs into sections small enough to fit into pressure cooker and generously coat with the BBQ sauce above. Lean ribs against the sides, standing upright in the cooker. Add any remaining BBQ sauce to water at bottom of cooker, securely lock on the pressure cooker's lid and cook on high for 20 minutes. Perform a quick release to release the cooker's pressure. Safely remove lid and serve.

BAKED BBQ BABY BACK RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Mix ancho chile powder, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and chipotle pepper in a small bowl until combined.
• Place ribs meat-side down on aluminum foil. Prick back of rib rack several times with a knife.
• Generously apply coating of dry rub to all sides of rib rack.
• With rib rack meat-side down, fold foil around it to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and cool 15 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on all sides of rack.
• Place rack meat-side up and return to oven, leaving foil open. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on meat-side only. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.
• Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce.