Why This Brown Sugar Rib Rub Is The Best Rib Rub Recipe:
Even though salt is the predominant ingredient in this dry rub for ribs , I sometimes refer to this as a brown sugar rib rub, since theres quite a bit of that too.
The molasses flavor of brown sugar is a nice way to add a touch of sweetness to savory foods, and its a key element in my harissa bbq sauce as well.
The balance of the salt and the sugar in this rib seasoning means the finished ribs have a sweet and savory quality. The chili powder and paprika give the ribs a deep brick red color, while the ground mustard and cayenne give them a little kick.
What Are Dry Rub Ribs
Dry rub ribs are pork ribs that you either bake or grill after using a dry spice rub on them.
Seasoning ribs with a dry rub involves mixing different spices together and then rubbing them on the ribs without any wet ingredients. When they cook, it gives the ribs this deliciously caramelized exterior!
How Do You Pull The Membrane Off Pork Ribs
Having trouble pulling the membrane off the bony side of the ribs or don’t know what I’m talking about? Skip it. You’ve probably ate it plenty of times or pulled it off after it was cooked.
If you want to watch a video of a successful and unsuccessful membrane “pull”, check out my baby back rib video of how to get it off.
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Recipe Notes And Helpful Tips
- Always remove the silver skin from your ribs before starting this and other rib recipes. Here is a great article with pictures on how to do it from Fine Cooking.
- I like cayenne pepper in my rub however if you are sensitive to spicy food than omit it or add a very small amount at a time and taste the rub after each addition.
- Slow cook the ribs in the aluminum foil until fork tender.
- If you like your ribs a little crispy on the edges turn the broiler in the last phase for the final few minutes of cooking. However stay close as I have always found broilers unpredictable.
- Sometimes I throw the ribs on the grill after the initial cooking of 1 1/2 hours. I might do this if the rain clears and if I want to crisp the edges of my ribs.
A Simple Spice Mix With Huge Flavor
The spices youll use are likely in your kitchen too. Youll mix salt, sugar, cumin, gochugaru , black pepper, garlic powder, and five-spice powder for this dry rub ribs recipe. If you dont have gochugaru, you can use paprika!
There are some dry rub mixes with dozens of ingredients in them, but not this one. The flavor profile here is slightly spicy , warming , and umami, with just a touch of sweetness.
Its a nicely balanced profile that leans Asian, but these ribs fit right into a traditional BBQ meal spread, too.
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How To Prep Ribs For Grilling
Before seasoning the dry rub ribs, there is some prep work to be done.
The thick membrane on the back of the ribs needs to remove before seasoning and cooking the ribs. If you dont remove it, it will be hard and chewy once they are cooked.
The easiest way to remove it is to ask the butcher to do it for you when buying the meat. However, if you want to do it yourself, follow the steps below!
How To Remove The Membrane From Baby Back Ribs
It is easy to do if you prefer to remove the membrane from a rack of baby back ribs.
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Super Tender Pork Ribs Dry Rub Recipe In The Oven
Jul 9, 2022 by Gina Dickson · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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Get your napkins ready when you make these super tender pork ribs with a sweet maple dry rub in your oven. These easy to make bbq pork ribs always turn out perfect and literally fall off the bone every time.
What makes these ribs, so good is the low heat and slow cooking process combined with my maple spice mix as a rub. This easy recipe gives you tender meat every time.
How Do Dry Rubs Work On Ribs
A dry rub function is that it holds the typical taste and dampness of the meat while adding a unique surface and flavor simultaneously. Contingent upon the cooking system, a dry rub does this by shaping an external hull layer that solidifies around the meat as its cooked.
Given its absence of fluid part or component, dry rubs tend not to add more dampness to the meat as the flavors leak their direction inside, given its absence of fluid part or component. The outcome is a crunchy external surface and a delicate and tasty inside.
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How Do You Make Dry Rub Oven Baked Ribs
First mix the paprika, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Apply it to the meaty side of the ribs and allow to set for 30 to 40 minutes. Now place the ribs meaty side down on a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and seal them up well.
Bake at 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until very tender. Remove from the oven and let sit until they are cool enough to safely remove from the aluminum foil. Place the ribs rub side up on a cookie sheet. Raise the oven temp to 375 degrees and baste with barbecue sauce. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and baste again with barbecue sauce. Return to the oven and cook for another 20 minutes.
I honestly prefer to grill outside in the cooler seasons. I often knock the snow off my grill and fire it up but sometimes baked ribs are the way to go and they can taste just good as grilled or smoked. ! It takes a few hours to prepare these as they bake on a low temperature for a while. You will need to prepare a little in advance of your hungry tummy! When they are completely done I like to let them rest for a bit and then serve up with extra Kansas City style barbecue sauce.
Heres How To Make Them:
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How To Store Dry Rub
Store this spice rub in an airtight container in the pantry with the rest of your herbs and spices, clearly labeled with the date. If the spices you used are fresh, the rub should last about a year, though the brown sugar might harden a bit in the meantime. This makes the rub difficult to use, and so you should make a new batch when and if this happens.
What Is Dry Rub
The best tasting ribs come from the best tasting rub! A dry rub is a mix of spices that you add to the ribs before you cook them. The rub infuses the ribs with flavor and the end result is amazingly delicious ribs. Just check out our Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs to see this rib rub in action!
The purpose of dry rub is to create a type of crust that enhances the flavor of your meat without adding moisture. It adds flavor and a great crust when its grilled or broiled! If you like your ribs saucy, you will also want to start with a dry rub before brushing your ribs with sauce after cooking.
You can use a dry rub on ribs that you cook in any type of way: oven, grill, smoker, crockpot or even in your Instant Pot! Its easy to make and a great spice mix to have in your kitchen for anytime you are craving ribs. We even use it on burgers!
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What Temperature Do I Need To Cook The Ribs To
The ribs need to be cooked to at least 145 degrees. Now, keep in mind that for most meats, I am not going to tell you to cook past the required cooking temperature, but when it comes to ribs, I am. They are way more tender and falling apart when you cook them to reach anywhere from 180 degrees to 200 degrees. This allows them to become off the bones easily and makes them more enjoyable. Typically, other meats should come out of the oven when they hit temperature, or they become dry. Ribs don’t do that unless you go above 200 degrees. I highly recommend a digital thermometer, so there isn’t any doubt what the temperature is.
Ribs with dry rub are perfect as is or great with barbecue sauce! These ribs were literally falling off the bone when we were trying to cut them. That is how tender they are.
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Why Make Dry Rub Homemade
There are a few different reasons you may want to make your own homemade dry rub. One of the reasons I like to make homemade dry rubs and seasonings is because I dont always remember to grab it at the store.
How many times have you gone to the store and totally forgot to grab something for the meat whether its dry rub, seasoning packets, or BBQ sauce? Instead of running back to the store, you can make your own right at home.
Some people make their own dry rub and seasoning mixes because they need a low sodium diet. When you make your own mixes, you can control how much salt goes into it.
Making your own dry rub is easy and you are able to control what goes into your homemade spice mix. Its easy to customize and its great for all kinds of meat, not just ribs! Plus, you likely already have all the seasonings needed to make it at home!
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How To Make Dry Rub For Ribs
I love a good dry rub on my ribs and think its necessary to get those perfect flavored ribs. It adds a layer of crispy deliciousness that you just cant compare.
Mix it: To make this recipe, all you need to do is gather all the ingredients, dump the right measurements into a bowl and whisk them together.
Store it: Pour your dry rub into an airtight container or jar and you can store it for up to one year.
Ways To Customize The Rub
Like all spice blends, you can customize it to your own taste:
- If you like your BBQ rub less sweet, use less brown sugar or swap it for coconut sugar to make it paleo-friendly.
- Consider more pepper or reduce the salt to suit your palate.
- Omit the allspice or substitute it for cinnamon or nutmeg to add some earthiness. Omit the cayenne if you dont like spicy.
- Add red chili peppers, Korean chili flakes, or Aleppo peppers for more complex spicy notes.
- Add cumin or coriander for some more depth.
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Oven Cooked Ribs With Dry Rub
Ribs slow cooked in the oven with a delicious dry rub! Super easy, and easily altered to suit your tastes. 😀
Nearly every time I ask my boyfriend what he wants for dinner he says ribs, fried chicken, or barbeque. Even when we don’t have any meat at all in the house. It’s also important to note that we do not own a grill! He’s determined.
Last time we went grocery shopping, he really wanted to buy ribs, so I made up my mind to learn to cook them in the oven. I originally wanted to go the “sauce-the-hell-outta-them” route because I had read that was easier for beginners, but Tyler was jonesing for a dry rub. So I had to figure that out as well.
Needless to say, they turned out well and I can’t wait to make them again!
Why Make Your Own Dry Rub For Ribs
I make my own dry rub for ribs in oven for the same reason I make my own salad dressings , sauces and marinades : I can control whats in it!
Ive purchased pre-packaged meat rubs before, and sometimes theyre OK. But often, Im simply not happy with the flavor.
Sometimes theyll only taste like salt and not much else, or sometimes there is just wayyyy too much rosemary, and it overpowers everything else in the rib seasoning.
When I make my own pork rib rub recipe, I can go heavier on the spices that I really like and go lighter or omit the ones Im not as crazy about. I do the same thing for my spicy potato chips seasoning.
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Low And Slow Then Turn It Up
The key to these dry rub ribs is to roast them covered at low heat for most of the cooking time. After two hours, youll remove the foil, crank up the heat, and let them get crispy under the broiler.
The luscious texture and luxurious flavor youll get from it will certainly surprise you. Its a must-make for barbecue lovers of all kinds!
The Best Dry Rub Ribs Are Nicely Marbled
The best results for these dry rub ribs will come from well-marbled slabs. Look for an even layer of meat too, one that isnt too thin or too thick. I used St. Louis ribs because theyre flatter, so they crisp up evenly at the end. This cut of ribs is also fattier, so the end result is that your ribs will be super tender after the fat melts away.
If you cant find St. Louis ribs, you can use baby back or spare ribs. They will come out delicious just the same. And while Id love to say this recipe is good for meal prep, I cant, because it is just too delicious I have never been able to have any leftovers when I make these Chinese dry rub ribs. They go fast!
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To Prep Your Baby Back Ribs:
Whether you are cooking baby back ribs or St. Louis style ribs, you need to remove the tough membrane on the back of the rib rack. Removing this is not hard, you simply place your knife under the lining in the middle of the rack edge and start pulling up. Im usually able to take it off in one long piece, but sometimes it can be stubborn and comes off in a few pieces.
Dry Rub For Oven Ribs
This is one of my favorite dry rub recipes for ribs because it doesn’t require a ton of different ingredients – just six ingredients total. Besides salt and pepper, here are some of my tips for choosing the right spices.
- Chili Powder – My favorite chili powder is from Morton and Bassett, which uses a really basic blend without any cocoa powder. It’s also salt-free for those following a low sodium diet. If you’re following a migraine diet, you’ll want to watch out for mixes containing onion powder as well.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is essential to adding a hint of sweetness, especially when the dry rub transforms into a bbq sauce while the ribs are in the oven.
- Garlic Powder – Unless you have a chili powder with a lot of garlic in it, the extra garlic powder adds so much flavor.
- Paprika – I love to use a combination of smoked paprika and regular paprika. The smoked paprika makes these ribs taste like they’re hot off the grill without the effort, but it’s not overpowering when you mix the two.
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