I love ribs. I love them done all kinds of ways and with all kinds of flavours. And so, for whatever reason, I thought today I would talk all about ribs. So sit back, strap in, and get ready to learn everything you ever needed to know about cooking ribs at home.

For the purposes of today’s post, I am focusing only on pork ribs. So if your looking for beef short ribs this isn’t the post for you.

The type of rib

There are really only two types of pork ribs. Side ribs, and back ribs. You will often find a lot of other names such as baby back ribs, St. Louis style ribs, spare ribs, etc. But all of these fall under either back rib or side rib. Let’s take a look at the differences in the two.

Side Ribs –

Side ribs or spare ribs come from the belly section or side of the pig. These are meatier and juicier than back ribs. More than likely if you have ordered a rack of ribs at a restaurant, this is what you were given.

Back Ribs –

Back ribs or baby back ribs come from the back of the pig. Close to the loin. Back ribs aren’t as meaty or fatty as side ribs, but they are more tender and so need less cooking. These also tend to be the more expensive of the two rib types.

Cleaning the ribs

So, you have settled on the ribs you want. You get home, you open the package, now what? Well, before you cook the ribs, you have to clean them. When I say you have to clean them, what I mean is that it’s a good idea to clean them in order to get the best eating experience from them. To be clear, I’m not talking about washing the ribs, I’m talking about cleaning them.

On the back of the ribs, there is a membrane which doesn’t really break down in cooking. Take a knife and slice horizontally between this membrane and the first rib bone. You should then be able to grab the membrane and pull it off in one big strip. It is easiest to use a paper towel or a clean dish towel to grip the membrane.

The only other cleaning you have to do is to take off any excess fat, or any pieces of meat that look out of place. It is possible that when you buy your side ribs they will have a line of meat at the bottom and flap of meat on the back. I prefer to take these off and use them for something else. Often a soup, or Chinese style honey garlic spare ribs. The rib tips come off very easily. You just have to find the end of the rib bones and run your knife along the length of the rack.

Brining/Marinating

Okay, your ribs are cleaned and now it’s time to get cooking…or is it? At this point, you could absolutely start cooking your ribs. But, you can also impart a tonne of flavour by bringing or marinating your ribs prior to cooking. What’s the difference between a brine and a marinade?

Brines –

A brine is a salt and water solution. It usually contains sugar as well and other flavourings. The ratio of salt to water is 16-1. So for every cup of water, you want 1 tbsp of salt. For ribs, I usually add equal parts sugar to salt.

If you wanted to brine two racks of ribs you would likely use 4 litres of water, 1 cup of salt, 1 cup sugar, a small handful of peppercorns, 4 bay leaves, a bunch of thyme and 1 cinnamon stick. Heat all of this together until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, strain, and add your ribs. Let the ribs sit, in the brine, the fridge, for at least 6 hours. Now, they are ready to cook.

The purpose of the brine is two-fold. One, you are imparting flavour into the meat. In this way, a brine is similar to a marinade. Two, because of the salt content of the water liquid is actually being drawn out of the ribs. Simultaneously, brine is replacing that liquid. Because of the high salt content in the brine, and now the high brine content in the ribs, the meat will retain moisture, and be much juicier even after a long cooking time.

Marinades –

Marinades have one purpose, impart flavour.

A marinade can be almost anything but the idea is that you want a lot of flavour and balance. You want a bit of sweet, mixed with acidity, mixed with salty, maybe even a little heat. That’s really all it comes down to.

Cooking Your Ribs 

Okay, first things first. A lot of people boil their ribs to speed up the cooking time. The problem with this is that the high heat of boiling actually toughens the meat. And unless you have heavily seasoned the boiling liquid you are removing all the rib flavour. Ribs are the type of thing that you can’t rush. Trying to speed up the process doesn’t help you or the ribs.

Now, if you do want to tenderize the ribs you can cook them in liquid, but DO NOT BOIL THEM. Braise the ribs.

Braising is the technique of cooking an item in liquid or moist heat at a low temperature. Yes, this is going to take longer, but the quality of the ribs will be undeniable. Make sure to flavour your braising liquid. Use stocks, herbs, vegetables, vinegar, whatever you want. But flavour it. And don’t overcook the ribs. You want them to still have structure.

Slow Roast

My preferred method of cooking ribs at home is to slow roast them. They can be put in the oven naked and finished with a sauce. They can be dry rubbed with a mixture of salt, sugar, pepper, and flavourings. Or they can be lightly sauced as long as the sauce isn’t too sweet. I usually cook my ribs, uncovered in the oven, on a broiler rack, at either 275°F or 300°F. I put them in the oven and forget about them for three or four hours.

If I am going to put a classic BBQ sauce on the ribs, I actually take them out of the oven once they are tender, slather them in sauce, and then put them under the broiler for a few minutes. This gives me that lightly charred flavour of the BBQ while using only my oven.

If I have gone the dry rub route I usually go with a light finishing sauce like a gastrique. A gastrique is essentially a French sweet and sour sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. Other flavourings can be added as well. An example of this would be equal parts cider vinegar, and sugar, with 1 cinnamon stick and 1 star anise. The is all simmered together until the sauce is thick. I then drizzle this over the ribs.

Conclusion

Of course, there are countless ways to cook ribs. Everyone has there own technique from soaking them in Dr. Pepper or Coke, to boiling the shit out of them. Whatever you choose to do to your ribs is up to you, you’re the one eating them. But the information I just laid out, should you choose to use it, will help you create the best ribs possible.

Do you have a tip I didn’t mention? Do you disagree with something I said? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as I can.