Cooking and Entertaining: Pork Baby Back Ribs

These ribs are so tender they literally fall off the bone

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved any type of ribs. I’m equally fond of braised short ribs, Korean style kalbi ribs, and pork baby back ribs. This recipe is my favorite for baby backs-I combined two different recipes because I liked one’s flavor and the meat’s tenderness from the other. This combination was synergistic and resulted in one of our family special occasion staples.

 

the flavoring paste ingredients

Blend the ingredients to make the paste

Place the ribs in a large disposable pan, brush them with the paste and
cover with foil

the sauce ingredients

To avoid making extra dirty dishes, I prepare the sauce in the measuring cup
I used to measure the ingredients

Brush the ribs with the sauce, then broil

EZ-Style Pork Ribs

  2-3  three pound racks pork baby back ribs

  Flavoring Paste

  Sauce

Preheat oven to 300ºF. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the jar of a blender, combine the paste ingredients, and blend until smooth. Dry the ribs with paper towels, then rub them thoroughly with the paste.  Place the ribs in a baking pan, cover with foil and slow-roast for 3 hours. Remove foil and bake for 1 additional hour. Remove the ribs from the oven. The ribs may then be broiled at this point or refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. While the ribs are roasting, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well; set aside. Heat broiler to high. Place rack 3 inches from broiler. Ideally, the ribs should have a light crust on the surface, and depending on your broiler, this will take 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Brush the ribs with the sauce during the last 30 seconds under the broiler.  Cut the ribs apart between the bones, and serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Flavoring Paste

  2 Tbsp.  garlic, minced

  2 Tbsp.  ground cumin

  2 Tbsp.  chile powder

  2 Tbsp.  dark-brown sugar

  3 Tbsp.  coarse salt

  3 Tbsp.  freshly cracked pepper

  1/4 C.  fresh oregano, roughly chopped

  1/4 C.  fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

  6 Tbsp.  orange juice

  2 Tbsp.  freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)

  4 dashes  pepper sauce, or more to taste

  2 Tbsp.  olive oil

Sauce

  1/3 C.  molasses

  1/2 C.  ketchup

  1/4 C.  freshly squeezed lime juice

  2 Tbsp.  ground cumin

  1/2 C.  fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

  1-3 Tbsp.  fresh jalapeno peppers, minced