Sticky Barbecue Pork Ribs

If you nibble daintily at a rib, holding it delicately between two fingers, and wipe your fingers clean with linen napkins, you and I will probably never be friends. Lol! 

If you grab them with your hands, devour with gusto, get sauce all over your mouth, smearing up towards your cheekbones, then drop the bones, sucked dry of every fibre of meat and sauce, so they clatter dramatically on your plate, then noisily suck each and every one of your fingers clean of all that sticky barbecue sauce. If that’s you, then you are my kind of people. And welcome to the pork ribs of your dreams!

To-die-for pork ribs, with fall apart meat, slathered in sticky homemade barbecue sauce. These ribs are rubbed with a spice mix, slowly cooked until they are fall apart tender, then basted generously with the tangy, sweet sauce. Get stuck in, get messy and enjoy. Yum!

Ingredients

Barbecue Rub for Ribs:

2 1/2 tsp paprika powder

2 tsp garlic powder (sub with onion powder)

1 1/2 tsp onion powder (sub with garlic powder)

1 tsp cayenne pepper (omit for not spicy)

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Ribs:

2 - 2.5 kg  pork ribs (roughly 2 racks)

189 ml sweet alcoholic apple cider, or apple juice 

1 tbsp olive oil

Home Made Barbecue Sauce:

125 ml apple cider vinegar 

375 ml cups tomato ketchup 

125 ml water (or use remaining apple cider)

1 1/2 tbsp molasses

80 g brown sugar

2 tsp mustard powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (optional, for spiciness)

Method:

Combine the Rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the ribs (most on meaty side). Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F 

Place ribs on a tray in a single layer. Pour apple cider underneath the ribs, cover with foil then bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the meat is pretty tender.

Now you can make the Barbecue Sauce (see below).

Remove ribs from oven, turn up to 180°C/350°F. Remove foil, drizzle with olive oil, then return ribs to oven for 15 minutes or until rub becomes nice and crusty.

Line a new tray with foil, then baking/parchment paper (you'll thank me later).

Remove ribs from oven, transfer to lined tray, pour any juices from tray over the ribs.

Flip ribs so the bonier side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, then bake 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, then turn ribs over so the meaty side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, bake for 5 minutes. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you've got a thick glaze on the ribs.

If you have used whole rib racks, cut ribs into individual or multiple rib portions and serve with the remaining barbecue Sauce.

For Barbecue sauce:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until thickened.

Adjust to taste: sweetness with brown sugar/honey, salt and sour with vinegar. Use for glazing ribs and as a sauce for serving.