Few things excite the carnivore class more than some perfectly cooked BBQ pork ribs. While most recipes are quite simple, cooking great ribs at home can be tricky. For this recipe, we use baby back ribs because they are easy to find and cook.
The biggest problem is uneven cooking, as the thickness of the rack of ribs differs from one end to the other. The second issue is the difficulty in hitting the sweet spot of doneness. Underdone ribs will have a great meaty chew, but ripping the meat from the bone will challenge your choppers. Overcooked ribs can range from dry to mushy.
To combat the challenges of cooking ribs, some suggest par-boiling them to give them a head start and begin breaking down the tough connective tissue. I’m not a fan of boiling ribs, as you are losing flavor in the pot of water. Other recipes call for baking or steaming the ribs, but I have found that these methods frequently result in mushy, flavor-stripped meat.
In my view, the answer is sous vide. Sous vide is the technique of cooking food sealed in plastic bags (or vacuum-sealed) in a warm/hot water bath maintained at a constant, precise temperature. This method was reserved for the restaurant world, but now, thankfully, there are affordable home versions of sous vide cookers. If you are on the fence regarding jumping into sous vide cooking, this rib recipe may inspire you to take the plunge. (A very serviceable home sous vide cooker will run you about $125 to $200.)
BBQ Pork Ribs Method
My recipe is quite simple, requiring: the sous vide cooker (of course), quality baby back ribs, large freezer zip-top bags, dry rub, and barbecue sauce.
With a sharp knife, score the back of the ribs (the no-meat side) with two or three horizontal cuts running from one end of the rack to the other. Cut the rack in half to better fit in the bags. A single layer of ribs works best, so do not stuff the bag. Completely cover the ribs with the dry rub (get the recipe), rubbing it into the meat and bones. Load the ribs into the plastic bags and refrigerate for 24 hours (give or take a few hours).
Set up your sous vide cooker and set the temperature to 150 F. Add the bags of ribs, leaving room in the water bath for the hot water to circulate properly. Check it from time to time to make sure the water level hasn’t dropped much due to evaporation. You can cover your vessel with plastic wrap to keep water vapor from escaping, which will also make it easier for the cooker to maintain the proper temperature. Otherwise, leave it alone for 24 hours.
When 24 hours (a few more hours won’t hurt a thing) have elapsed, you are ready to finish your ribs, or chill them in the bag and refrigerate until you are ready to finish.
You can finish the ribs in an oven, but the grill is the best. If going to the grill, decide whether you want a little grill flavor or prefer to smoke the ribs.
Regardless of your grill style, heat the ribs through using the indirect-heat method. In other words, have your hot coals on one side of the grill and place the ribs on the cooler side. If you are smoking the ribs, this will take 60 to 90 minutes. If you simply want to finish them on the grill, it will take about 30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of grill time, brush the ribs with the Red Wine Barbecue Sauce (get the recipe) – or your sauce of choice – three times, giving a few minutes between applications for the sauce to sink in and dry a bit. Pull the ribs from the grill to a large dish, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Eat.
What to drink with your ribs: If you are going for beer, I suggest a Märzen or Vienna lager, and you can’t go wrong with a classic Porter. If wine is your drink of choice, I suggest: California Zinfandel, Aussie Shiraz, Côtes du Rhône, or a juicy Montepulciano as well as Montepulciano’s fantastic rosé, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.
Do you want to better understand food and wine pairings? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.