Slow-cooked, tender barbecued pork ribs are firmly embedded in American culture. Barbecue, the technique of cooking meat over an indirect flame, originated in the Caribbean but came to North America with the arrival of the Spaniards. The Spanish brought pork as well. Explorer Hernando de Soto brought 13 pigs to America in 1539 when he landed in Tampa Bay, Florida. Three years later the herd numbered over 700. From there, pork’s place in American culture took root. It was cheap in the South, easy to raise, and used less resources than raising cattle.
Pork is often prepared with a spice rub and barbecue sauce in America, like in this recipe. Barbecue sauce, as well as spice rubs, vary regionally based on various immigrant influences. Despite the different sauces and rubs, slow-cooked pork is a tender treat that holds a significant place in American culture.
Recipe Servings: 4
+ 15 minutes resting
Ingredients
- ½ cup ancho chile powder
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup salt
- 2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground dried chipotle pepper
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, more as needed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Mix ancho chile powder, sugar, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cumin, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and chipotle pepper in small bowl until combined.
- Place ribs meat side down on aluminum foil and prick back of rib rack several times with knife.
- Generously apply a coating of the spice mixture to all sides of rib rack.
- With rib rack meat side down, fold foil around it to create a tight seal. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove it from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
- Open foil packet, drain and discard accumulated juices and fat.
- Brush barbecue sauce on all sides of rack.
- Place rack meat side up and return to oven, leaving foil open. Bake 10 minutes.
- Remove ribs from oven and brush another layer of barbecue sauce over meat side only.
- Repeat baking and brushing on sauce four more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.
- Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.
Recipe introduction and directions © Copyright 2016-2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.