Succulent, fall-off-the-bone ribs are the epitome of barbecue perfection, and with so many tantalizing variations, there's a recipe to suit every taste. From classic Southern-style ribs slathered in a sweet and tangy sauce, to Korean ribs with a spicy kick, and even a vegan-friendly option, this article presents a culinary journey through the world's best ribs recipes. Whether you prefer grilling, smoking, or baking your ribs, you'll find detailed instructions and mouthwatering photos to guide you every step of the way. Get ready to embark on a flavor-packed adventure as we explore the secrets behind the world's most irresistible ribs.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BEST BARBECUE RIBS EVER
Provided by Katie Lee Biegel
Time 3h35m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, the oregano, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl and rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. In a roasting pan, combine the broth and vinegar. Add the ribs to the pan. Cover with foil and tightly seal. Bake 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the pan and place them on a platter. Pour the liquid from the pan into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the barbecue sauce.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high. Put the ribs on the grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side, until browned and slightly charred. Cut the ribs between the bones and toss them in a large bowl with the sauce. Serve hot.
WORLD'S BEST RIBS
These hickory smoked, baby back ribs are the best! We have found that a charcoal kettle grill works better than a gas grill.
Provided by John Gerald Gleeson
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Pork Rib Recipes Baby Back Ribs
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Soak 2 cups hickory wood chips in water for an hour or so.
- Prepare the grill for indirect cooking, and position a drip pan under the grate. Drop a handful of soaked hickory over coals when ready to barbeque.
- Brush grate lightly with oil. Position ribs on grill directly above the drip pan. Cover with onions. Close the lid, and cook for 1/2 hour. After the first 1/2 hour, brush the ribs liberally with barbeque sauce every 15 to 20 minutes for an hour. Add more coals and/or hickory chips as needed. Carve the ribs, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1121.7 calories, Carbohydrate 25.2 g, Cholesterol 340.5 mg, Fat 74.3 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 86.9 g, SaturatedFat 27.3 g, Sodium 1095.5 mg, Sugar 17.5 g
THE BEST BABY BACK RIBS
I first marinate each rack of ribs, then add a zesty rub before grilling them. They always turn out moist and flavorful. -Iola Egle, Bella Vista, Arkansas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- If necessary, remove thin membrane from ribs and discard. Combine broth, soy sauce, 1/2 cup sugar, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Place ribs in a shallow baking dish; pour two-thirds of the marinade over ribs. Turn to coat; refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain ribs, discarding marinade. Combine remaining sugar, salt and seasonings; rub over both sides of ribs., Grill ribs, covered, on an oiled rack over indirect medium heat for 30 minutes on each side., Baste with reserved marinade, or, if desired, barbecue sauce. Move ribs to direct medium heat and cook until pork is tender, turning and basting occasionally, 20-40 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 647 calories, Fat 41g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 123mg cholesterol, Sodium 2345mg sodium, Carbohydrate 30g carbohydrate (29g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 37g protein.
MEATHEAD'S LAST MEAL RIBS RECIPE
These are the best BBQ pork ribs you will ever eat. They are so good you would ask for them as your "last meal". We're talking classic Southern barbecue ribs here, the barbecue ribs that win barbecue championships. The recipe is a melange of flavors: A complex spice rub, elegant hardwood smoke, tangy sweet sauce, all underpinned and held together by the distinct flavor of pork.
Provided by Kris Coppieters
Categories Dinner Lunch Main Course
Time 6h
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Prep. Rinse the ribs in cool water to remove any bone bits from the butchering.
- If the butcher has not removed the membrane from the under side, do it yourself. It gets leathery and hard to chew, it keeps fat in, and it keeps sauce out. To remove it, insert a butter knife under the membrane, then your fingers, work a section loose, grip it with a paper towel, and peel it off. If you can't get the skin off, with a sharp knife, cut slashes through it every inch so some of the fat will render out during the cooking. Click here to see more photos of how to skin 'n' trim ribs and here's a quickie 1 minute video of the technique.
- Trim the excess fat from both sides of the rack of ribs.
- Next it is time to add the salt. The rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, but ribs are about 50% bone, so use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound. You can simply eyeball it by sprinkling on the same amount of salt you would sprinkle on the ribs if they were served to you unsalted. If you can, give the salt 1 to 2 hours to be absorbed. The process of salting in advance is called dry brining.
- Before adding a BBQ rub, be aware of double salt jeopardy! Rubs and spice blends are a great way to add flavor to meat, but almost all commercial rubs contain salt so be careful not to pre-salt the ribs if you plan on using one of these rubs otherwise they will be unbearably salty. Also note that some ribs sold in grocery stores are labeled as "enhanced" or "flavor enhanced" or "self-basting" or "basted," meaning that they have been injected with a brine at the packing plant so if you are using these you probably want to use a rub that doesn't include salt like our Meathead's Memphis Dust recipe.Some folks insist on putting the barbecue rub on the night before, but it isn't necessary. The molecules in spices are too large to penetrate more than a tiny fraction of an inch. Read this for the science.
- Before applying the rub, just coat the meat with a thin layer of water. The water helps dissolve the spices. A lot of cooks like to use mustard under the rub as a form of glue. Mustard is water, vinegar, and maybe white wine (all mostly water) with mustard powder mixed in. The amount of mustard powder is so small that by the time the water steams off and drips away, the mustard powder remaining is miniscule. My experience is that using a mustard slather makes little or no difference in the final outcome. If you want a mustard flavor, you will do much better by simply sprinkling it on the meat. Once wet, sprinkle enough Meathead's Memphis Dust to coat all surfaces but not so much that the meat doesn't show through. That is about 2 tablespoons per side depending on the size of the slab. Spread the Memphis Dust on the meat and rub it in.
- Fire up. Pre-heat your barbecue smoker or set up your grill for 2-zone (indirect) cooking. Adjust the dampers on your cooker to bring the temperature to about 225°F and try to keep it there throughout the cook. Cooking at 225°F will allow the meat to roast low and slow, liquefying the collagen in connective tissues and melting fats without getting the proteins knotted in a bunch. It's a magic temp that creates silky texture, adds moisture, and keeps the meat tender. If you can't hit 225°F, get as close as you can. Don't go under 200°F and try not to go over 250°F.When monitoring the cooker temperature you can absolutely positively noway nohow rely on bi-metal dial thermometers. If you are not monitoring your cooker with a good digital oven thermometer, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Using a dial thermometer is like trying to send email with a typewriter. Click here to read my buyer's guide to thermometers.Once you have reached the desired temperature, add about 4 ounces of dry wood, placing it as close to the flame as possible.
- Cook. Put the slabs in the cooker in indirect heat, meaty side up, close the lid, go drink a beer, read a book, or make love.
- When the smoke dwindles after 20 to 30 minutes, add another 4 ounces of wood. After that, DO NOT add any more wood. On your first attempt, resist the temptation. Nothing will ruin a meal faster and waste money better than over-smoked meat. You can always add more the next time you cook, but you cannot take it away if you over-smoke.
- If you have more than one slab on, halfway through the cook you will need to move the ribs closest to the fire away from the heat, and the slabs farthest from the flame in closer. Leave the meat side up. There is no need to flip the slabs. You can peek if you must, but don't leave the lid open for long.
- This next step is known as the Texas Crutch. This optional trick involves wrapping the slab in foil with about an ounce of water for up to an hour to speed cooking and tenderize a bit. Almost all barbecue ribs competition cooks use the Texas Crutch to get an edge. But the improvement is really slight and I never bother for backyard cooking. If you crutch too long you can turn the meat to mush and time in foil can soften the bark and remove a lot of rub. I recommend it only for barbecue competitions when the tiniest improvement can mean thousands of dollars. Skip it and you'll still have killer ribs. But if you've seen it on TV and must try it, click here to learn more about The Texas Crutch. The Texas Crutch is it is baked into a popular technique called the 3-2-1 method which I do not recommend. Two hours in foil or butcher paper is far too long and can make the meat mushy. Try the Texas Crutch after you master the basics.
- For cooking time, allow 5 to 7 hours for St. Louis Cut (SLC) Ribs or Spare Ribs, and 3 to 5 hours for Baby Back Ribs. Thicker, meatier slabs take longer. If you use rib holders so they are crammed close to each other, add another hour.
- When it is time to find out whether or not the ribs are ready, we us the bend test (a.k.a. the bounce test). Although we insist that you buy a good digital meat thermometer for most smoking and grilling, this is one of the few meats on which you cannot use a meat thermometer because the bones have an impact on the meat temp and because the meat is so thin. To conduct the bend test, pick up the slab with tongs and bounce it gently. If the surface cracks as in the picture above, it is ready. Here are some other tricks to tell when ribs are ready.
- Once the ribs are done cooking it is time to add the sauce unless you intend to serve them "dry" like they do in Memphis. The key to saucing ribs is to go easy on it so that the meat can shine through. Simply paint both sides of the rack with your favorite home made barbecue sauce or store-bought barbecue sauce and cook for another 15 minutes or so. Don't put the sauce on earlier than that. It has sugar and there is a risk it can burn. Now here's a trick I like: Sizzle on the sauce. Put the ribs with sauce directly over the hottest part of a grill in order to caramelize and crisp the sauce. On a charcoal grill, just move the slab over the coals. On a gas grill, crank up all the burners. On a water smoker, remove the water pan and move the meat close to the coals. On an offset smoker, put a grate over the coals in the firebox and put the meat there. With the lid open so you don't roast the meat from above, sizzle the sauce on one side and then the other. The sauce will actually sizzle and bubble. Stand by your grill and watch because sweet sauce can go from caramelized to carbonized in less than a minute! One coat of a thick sauce should be enough, but if you need two, go ahead, but don't hide all the fabulous flavors under too much sauce. If you think you'll want more sauce, put some in a bowl on the table.
- Serve. Once sauced, slice the rack between the bones. If you've done all this right, you will notice that there is a thin pink layer beneath the surface of the meat. This does not mean it is undercooked! It is the highly prized smoke ring caused by the combustion gases and the smoke. It is a sign of Amazing Ribs. Now plate, serve to your guests, and take a bow when the applause swells from the audience.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 61 kcal, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 1135 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 12 g, ServingSize 1 serving
BEEF SHORT RIBS
Provided by Ina Garten
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the fennel, leek, onion, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine, bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.
- Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the brown sugar and beef stock. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
- Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.
GARLIC BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH RED WINE
If you weren't already sure about how easy and delicious braised short ribs can be, consider this classic and straightforward recipe an excellent gateway. The ultimate hands-off, do-ahead dinner, these are done on the stovetop in a large Dutch oven but can easily be adapted to a slow cooker if that's your thing. When purchasing the ribs, ask for the thickest, meatiest ones available as they tend to shrink quite a bit once braised.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories meat, soups and stews, main course
Time 4h30m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving the good browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste has started to caramelize a bit on the bottom and up the edges of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add red wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned or caramelized bits. Let this simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to take the edge off and reduce a bit. Stir in beef stock along with thyme. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, nestling them in there so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven.
- Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 3½ to 4 hours.
- Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care (for presentation purposes, really) not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. (While you could serve the short ribs right out of this pot, the vegetables have all given up their flavor and texture and aren't worth much now, so feel free to strain the sauce for easier eating.) Scatter parsley, chives and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve alongside.
WORLD'S BEST RIBS
This recipe is quite simple and the results are incredible. I usually double the rub recipe and store it in a jar for next time. If you've never tried ribs before, try this recipe. This recipe can be made on the grill or in the oven.
Provided by Designing Diva
Categories Pork
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Mix brown sugar, Emeril's Essence, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne pepper thoroughly, and sprinkle on both sides of ribs to taste.
- For grilling, carefully wrap in aluminum foil and cook bone side down approximately 1 1/2 hours on low temperature.
- No need to turn.
- After ribs become tender, remove from foil and continue cooking on both sides to desired crispness.
- Apply barbecue sauce liberally to both sides and allow approximately 10 minutes for barbecue sauce to caramelize.
- Brush a second time if desired, and allow to caramelize.
- Remove from grill and enjoy!
- *For oven baking, wrap in aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet in a 275°F oven for 4 hours.
- Place a pan with water in the oven also to keep them moist.
- Remove and discard foil and brush with barbecue sauce and allow 10 minutes to caramelize.
- Brush a second time if desired.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 320.7, Fat 1.2, SaturatedFat 0.1, Sodium 3204.6, Carbohydrate 77, Fiber 2.6, Sugar 55, Protein 1.1
BEST-EVER BARBECUED RIBS
Provided by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
Categories Pork Bake Fourth of July Father's Day Backyard BBQ Dinner Meat Pork Rib Summer Family Reunion Grill Chill Grill/Barbecue Advance Prep Required Bon Appétit Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place each rack of ribs on a double layer of foil; sprinkle rub all over ribs. Wrap racks individually and divide between 2 baking sheets.
- Bake ribs until very tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours for baby backs and 3 hours for spareribs. Carefully unwrap ribs; pour any juices from foil into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup; reserve juices. Let ribs cool completely. DO AHEAD: Ribs can be baked up to 3 days ahead (the flavor will be more developed, and the cold ribs will hold together better on the grill as they heat through). Cover and chill juices. Rewrap ribs in foil and chill.
- Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Add broth or water to rib juices, if needed, to measure 1 1/2 cups. Whisk in barbecue sauce to blend.
- Grill ribs, basting with barbecue sauce mixture and turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated through, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut between ribs to separate. Transfer to a platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce.
Tips:
- Choose the right ribs: Look for ribs that are meaty and have a good amount of marbling. Avoid ribs that are too thin or have a lot of bone.
- Prepare the ribs properly: Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and trim off any excess fat.
- Use a good rub: A good rub will help to flavor the ribs and create a nice crust. There are many different rubs to choose from, so experiment until you find one that you like.
- Cook the ribs slowly and low: Ribs should be cooked slowly and low in order to tenderize them. The ideal cooking temperature is between 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a smoker or grill: Ribs can be cooked in a smoker or on a grill. If you are using a smoker, add a few chunks of wood to the fire to create a smoky flavor.
- Baste the ribs regularly: Basting the ribs with a mixture of water, vinegar, and spices will help to keep them moist and flavorful.
- Let the ribs rest before serving: Once the ribs are cooked, let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
Conclusion:
Ribs are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you are cooking them for a special occasion or just a weeknight meal, these tips will help you to make the best ribs possible. So fire up your grill or smoker and get started!
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