Balsamic-Glazed Oven-Baked Ribs

Name: Balsamic-Glazed Oven-Baked Ribs
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: southern
Ingredients: 2 spare-rib racks, the smallest you can find 5 to 6 pounds total; 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil; Kosher salt; 4 large flat-leaf parsley sprigs; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and gently crushed; 4 thyme sprigs; 1 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste; 1 cup ketchup; 6 ounces (1/2 can) your favorite beer; 1/4 cup honey; 3 tablespoons grainy mustard; 1 tablespoon molasses; 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, or to taste; 1/2 red onion, diced; 1 large clove garlic, minced; Salt

Recipe from Animal

Adapted by Steven Raichlen

Balsamic-Glazed Oven-Baked Ribs — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 2½ hours
Rating: 5(1,620)
Comments: Read comments

Conventional wisdom holds that pork ribs taste best when cooked outdoors on a grill or smoker. Conventional wisdom hasn’t experienced the sweet-sour balsamic-glazed St. Louis-cut spare ribs at Animal in Los Angeles. The restaurant’s chefs, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, prepare them in a way that most barbecue purists would never order, much less eat: baked in the oven. Here, their recipe has been adapted for the home cook. —Steven Raichlen

Featured in: Ribs Without Smoke

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Ribs

2spare-rib racks, the smallest you can find 5 to 6 pounds total
2tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
Kosher salt
4large flat-leaf parsley sprigs
4garlic cloves, peeled and gently crushed
4thyme sprigs

For the Barbecue Sauce

1cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1cup ketchup
6ounces (½ can) your favorite beer
¼cup honey
3tablespoons grainy mustard
1tablespoon molasses
1½teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
¼cup dark brown sugar, or to taste
½red onion, diced
1large clove garlic, minced
Salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Ribs
1. Step 1
  To prepare the ribs, heat the oven to 350 degrees. If the butcher has not removed the membrane on the back of each rack, gently pry it up by sliding a sharp implement (like the tip of an instant-read thermometer) under it, then lifting gently. Grab the membrane with a paper towel and peel it off.
2. Step 2
  Spread a 24-inch sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side up, on a work surface. Place one rack on top, rub it all over with oil, and generously season both sides with salt. Place 2 parsley sprigs and 2 garlic cloves under the concave side of the rack and 2 thyme sprigs on top. Wrap the ribs in the foil, pleating the edges to seal well. Repeat with the second rack. Place the rib packets in a large roasting pan.
3. Step 3
  Roast the ribs for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Cook 1½ to 2 hours more, until the meat has shrunk back from the ends of the bones by ¼ to ½ inch and the ribs are tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.
4. Step 4
  Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce. Place the balsamic vinegar in a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by a third. Add the remaining barbecue sauce ingredients with ¼ cup water, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, 30 to 40 minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, add a little water. The sauce should be highly seasoned; adjust to taste by adding vinegar, brown sugar or salt.
5. Step 5
  Remove the ribs from the oven and let cool briefly, then open the foil, being careful of the escaping steam. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet. Turn on the broiler or raise the oven to 450 degrees.
6. Step 6
  Slather the ribs on both sides with the barbecue sauce. Broil the ribs until the sauce sizzles and browns, 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Alternatively, bake in the oven 8 to 12 minutes. Baste with the barbecue sauce and serve at once with any remaining sauce on the side.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,620 user ratings

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Comments

Kerry5 years ago

It partly depends on how you like your ribs. Some people like them firm, others, like me, prefer just starting to fall off the bone. For that level of doneness a thick rack (think Costco) needs four hours at about 250d. When I studied barbecue under famed pit boss Mike Mills, he showed me a simple trick to tell if they are done. Take your tongs and pick the rack up by one end. If it bends over so the other end is pointing straight down, they are done. If they fall apart, they are overdone.

Steve Projan7 years ago

I've used this recipe over a dozen times and there has not been a single rib left over. Sometimes, rather than using the broiler, I finish the ribs over direct heat on a hot grill, that appears to give excellent results as well.

MFK7 years ago

Followed the recipe word for word and they turned out incredible. My family said they are the best ribs they have ever had.

CathyM5 days ago

Made these as written and broiled at the end. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make again. Easy

Shannon1 week ago

The BBQ sauce is heavenly. I should have read the previous comments because I like meat that falls off the bone; I followed the recipe exactly as written, and although the meat is tender, it was not as tender as I would have liked. I will make it again, but leave it in much longer.

Jason3 weeks ago

Question. Do you take them out of the oven at step 3 or at step 5? In step 3 ,once the meat has shrunk back from the ends of the bones by 1/4 to 1/2 inch and ribs are tender, do you take it out of the oven while you make the sauce? In step 5, it says remove the ribs from the oven...I'm not following?

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