Nothin’ says southern comfort like a rack of barbecue ribs. Whether you’re chowin’ down on pork or beef, there’s something about slow cooked, fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs that speaks to the soul. ‘Cue authorities will tell you there’s only one real way to cook barbecue ribs: in a slow cooker, low and slow. But, between us, we’ve had a lot of success cooking our best rib recipe on the grill and in the oven.
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook: 4 hours
Note: while our best rib recipe is fun to cook up on your own, we also offer expertly seasoned and marinated ribs, ready for cookin’ on our website—if you’re not feeling up to prep work.
What You’ll Need
- 1 rack of pork baby back ribs
- 2 tablespoon of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons of Best Stop Cajun Garlic Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce of your choice
The Prep Step
To make the best rib recipe, first decide if you want to marinate the ribs or not! It’ll take longer to prep (so if you’re in a pinch you may want to skip this step), but the added flavor is well worth it—we have some knockout suggestions to choose from! If you decide to marinate, we recommend adding it on before the dry rub and letting it sit overnight in the fridge so that the flavors can fully develop and the meat has time to break down.
Once you have all your ingredients, you’re gonna want to combine all your dry spices—including the Cajun Garlic Seasoning—together evenly into a bowl. This best rib recipe has some serious kick to it, so feel free to adjust the level of spice to fit your preferred level of heat.
Once mixed, you want to rub your dry seasoning onto the ribs evenly and add in a splash of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce as is appropriate. Don’t be afraid to get heavy handed with the worcestershire (but let caution guide your hand when it comes to the hot sauce). The dry rub will develop into a nice, tasty crust as the ribs cook so don’t be afraid to apply generously onto the ribs!
Once your dry rub is on the ribs, try to avoid letting it sit for too long—it’ll end up curing the meat and give it a ham-like taste! Some people prefer this, and will let dry rub sit for long periods of time, but we prefer to throw it on the grill immediately after applying the rub.
Let’s Get Cooking
On the Grill:
The secret to cooking tender, delicious ribs on the grill is to keep your ribs over indirect, low heat for most of the cooking process. If your temperature is too hot, you’ll end up with chewy, dry meat.
Strat by oiling the grill evenly, and bring it to a low-medium heat on one side of the grill. Once you’re at your desired temperature, place the ribs directly onto the grill and grill them covered, indirectly over the heat for 30 minutes on each side.
After your first hour, you can move the ribs directly over the heat and cook for 20-40 minutes longer. As you grill, turn and baste the ribs with a marinade to add flavor and help keep the ribs from drying out.
Contrary to popular belief, your ribs are done cooking BEFORE the meat falls off the bone. If the meat is falling off the bone, you’ve likely overcooked the meat! Instead, test for tenderness by piercing the meat with a fork—you’re looking for the prongs to glide easily through the meat with little resistance. You can also twist or pull on a bone to feel for give.
In the Oven:
When it comes to cooking the ribs in the oven, you want to avoid having to turn and flip the meat. The best workaround for this is to elevate the ribs using a rack so that air can pass underneath them and evenly heat both sides.
Once your ribs are arranged properly, you’re gonna want to briefly pass them under the broiler so that they can develop a nice, caramelized crust from the dry rub. Preheat your broiler before placing the ribs into the oven, and then keep a close eye on them as they cook to avoid burning them! Once your rub starts to pop and sizzle, it’s time to remove the ribs from the oven and allow it to cool back down to 250 F
Once the oven has cooled back down, you can place the ribs back into the oven uncovered for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Afterwards, pull them out and cover the ribs with a sheet of aluminum foil to help hold the moisture while cooking. Place the ribs back into the oven for another 1 ½ to 2 hours.
You’ll know the ribs are completely cooked when the rack goes limp if picked up on the end, without tearing or ripping. If you have a meat thermometer, you’re looking for a temperature of 165 F!
Cooking With The Best Stop
We know how to prepare meat—it’s what we do. If you’re looking for the best cuts of specialty meats in Acadiana, look no further than The Best Stop in Scott, Louisiana. We offer a wide range of fresh, locally sourced meat and an even larger selection of unique Cajun treats. For those looking for signature Cajun flavor and seasoning, we also offer many of our cuts already pre-seasoned and ready for cookin’!
