As summer is approaching I start getting a little nostalgic about all the delectable items I’ll be eating over the coming months. And one of those items is my Dad’s ribs. It’s a very “summer” meal as far as I’m concerned. My Dad would always make them out on the grill and we would eat them with plenty of his coleslaw, probably some Jersey corn, thick sliced Jersey tomatoes (shout out to NJ), maybe my mom’s potato salad and my grandmom’s pickled eggs. It’s a real family affair here. But, considering the current climate, that prob isn’t gonna happen any time in the near future. So in the time being, I can at least make them here for Ry and I, eat em in the yard, play some Dick Dale, open a beer and enjoy just being outside.
Luckily when I asked my Dad if he could send over a recipe for his ribs he texted back with all the details in about 5 mins along with his coleslaw recipe. (Thanks Dad!) Dude is serious about his ribs, and honestly they are that good.
I had never made these before, mainly cause if he was doing it why would I? But after attempting to make them, I realized it’s all a pretty simple process. You just need to be on top of your seasonings, temps and time. And the majority of the cooking can be pretty hands off if you do them in the oven like I did. You can also do the whole thing on the grill if that’s your vibe, just keep an eye on your thermometer to make sure you’re cooking them low and slow.
The other nice thing about these ribs is you really only need to get ahold of some ribs and BBQ sauce, assuming you have a decently stocked spice cabinet. The spice blend is what makes these, at least for me. He’s tweaked the spice rub over the years and it’s a nice mix with the fresh black pepper, brown sugar and fennel.
I’m planning on trying out some other seasoning variations this summer as well. Maybe a five spice variety, a sweet gochujang version, a cumin heavy one perhaps? If you have any suggestions leave them in the comments below!
considering the current climate, that prob isn’t gonna happen any time in the near future. So in the time being, I can at least make them here for Ry and I, eat em in the yard, play some Dick Dale, open a beer and enjoy just being outside.
Dad's Ribs
Ingredients
For The Spice Rub
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp ground fennel
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp chili powder
The Rest
- 2 racks pork ribs baby back or St. Louis style
- 1 bottle bbq sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F (105°C).
- Rub down ribs with spice mix.
- Wrap tightly in foil and place on a foil lined tray.
- Bake at 225°F (105°C) for 2-3 hours. You want the ribs super tender and fully cooked at this point, but don’t worry about having any color or char yet.
- Snip a hole in the foil to drain out and save any liquid released while the ribs were cooking. Mix that liquid with about 3/4 C of BBQ sauce and slather all over ribs. You can grill them, brushing with more BBQ sauce and letting them char on each side, or broil them in your oven, till the sugars in the BBQ sauce are sticky, bubbly and just start to char.
- Let ribs cool for about 5 mins, then slice up and eat with some extra BBQ sauce on the side.
7 thoughts on Dad’s Ribs
This looks soooo delish. It’s my fav comfort food. Yum.
Just got my grill ready for summer….and these spicy ribs will be a tasty change from that tired old burger!
As a meat cutter for over 30 yrs, I ALWAYS suggested, removing the fell from the back of the ribs (the thin membrane), and add a Tbls or 2 of PICKLE JUICE to those ribs, prior to wrapping in foil…OR marinating in pickle juice a few hours prior to dry rub. Your Dad’s ribs sound delicious.
Thanks for the tips Tim. I def gotta try out the pickle juice next time!!
Cooking ribs is like riding a bike. Its common sense. I cook mine low and slow on pellet grill entirely. Use good pellets (100% woods). Some pellets are not. So I use Lumberjack. The dripping are not needed if you cook them at correct temps to correct IT the bones will slip away from meat. I’m not going to pretend that mine are better than others. I will say they are so good they get eaten in entirety in short order and I make enough for each person to stuff themself. Of course rub is important. But the rest? I’ve have had wrapped unwrapped,. Baked smoked, grilled. Imo without smoke your missing out, and you need the smoke before they are cooked. But that is my oppinion. It isnt bbq or truly smoke if its been cooked first. Smoked then baked or sous vide. Then they retain the smoke. I’m not saying they would not taste good but sauces are secondary if ribs are rubbed and smoke grilled. I use honey and a few spices, never leaving out Black garlic and pimento.
Tried ur recipe, wonderful rub, trying it again tomorrow, I cannot wait!
So glad to hear it!! Let me know how the next round goes.