Super Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
Recipes Don’t Get Much Simpler
There are two basic types of easy recipes. There are some, like hamburger rice or a simple pork shoulder steak, that come together fast but require more or less continuous attention during cooking. Then there are others that cook long and slow. These often require even less preparation since so much of the magic happens in the oven.
This recipe definitely belongs to the latter group. While it does require at least two hours of cooking, it takes less than five minutes to get it into the oven. As always, the danger with such a simple preparation is that flavor will be sacrificed in the pursuit of convenience. Luckily, in this case there’s no need to worry.
Amazing Ribs
The reason this isn’t a problem is straightforward – back ribs are among the most flavorful cuts of meat. Yes, they’re delicious carefully smoked or barbecued, but these more involved preparations are gilding the lily. Even the brown sugar I include in this recipe isn’t strictly necessary for a great result. Simply sprinkling them with a little salt is enough.
But the downside of ribs is that they are very tough if not properly cooked. While two hours is a good ballpark for how long it will take to bake baby back ribs, it’s a good idea to check them regularly. The meat should be extremely tender. If in doubt, cook them a bit longer. Overcooking a smidge won’t be a problem, but undercooking will make your dinner much less enjoyable.
You can also use spare ribs or even country style ribs in this recipe, though you should be aware that country style ribs do dry out a little easier, so keep a close eye if you use them, or keep a thermometer handy and pull them as soon as they reach an internal temperature of 188.
Serving Ideas
Ribs go great with sweet potatoes in any form. For making sweet potato fries, as I’ve done here, I prefer white sweet potatoes, which are a bit drier than the orange ones and seem to hold together a bit better. I start baking them with the ribs, then once the ribs are done I crank up the oven. Lard or bacon grease are the best cooking fat for oven fries, but butter works fine in a pinch. The ribs will likely have cooled off by the time the fries are done, but they can go right back in the oven to warm up for a few minutes if they need it. Any vegetable from a salad to cabbage to kale makes a good side.
Super Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs back ribs preferably high quality, pastured pork
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275° Mix sugar and salt, then apply the blend to both sides of the ribs. You will likely have some left over.
- Put the ribs in a backing dish and cover it loosely with foil. Bake two hours, or until the ribs are extremely tender.
- Allow ribs to cool for a few minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut them apart. Serve with sweet potato fries and a vegetable of your choice.
