Baby Back Ribs With Sweet and Sour Glaze Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

David

Highly recommend removing the membrane - doing so makes the ribs even more tender. Use a paper towel to grab the membrane when pulling, otherwise it will slip out of your hands.

SusanB

Maybe since there are so many questions and suggestions regarding the membrane, the Times might make a short video demonstrating a/the successful method of accomplishing that particular task. It sounds like readers/home cooks would be quite appreciative. I would.

Gary

When removing the membrane on the back, I find it helpful to use just a regular rounded tip table knife. Starting somewhere in the middle of the rack, work the rounded tip on top of a bone but underneath the membrane. Work it all the way across the bone. Then gently lift up and you should start to raise the membrane off the rack. It will tear at some point but then, using paper towels to get a grip, gently pull back the membrane away from the ribs.

gwen kaplan

Love that the pork is seasoned with kosher salt.

Eric

I erred in over-cooking the ribs, but allowing for that they were still delicious. Next time I will take care not to over-cook, and will double the sauce. It's great to be able to make interesting ribs in the oven in winter.

Larry

1. David's tip is correct except that he is referring to what butcher refer to as the skin on the underside of a slab -- not a membrane. Also, if the slab is very cold, the skin is easier to peel off. Sometimes I put the slab in the freezer for a few minutes to accomplish this. 2. Here are a couple of optional but well-proven flavor enhancements. ---- Sprinkle liquid smoke onto the ribs after they are cooked. ---- Include a half-teaspoon of garlic powder in the glaze mix.

George

Larry, I am a surgeon and actually it IS a serous membrane, although butchers may refer to it as "skin." It is called the pleura, and it lines the thorax of humans and other mammals. It consists of two layers, one surrounds the ribs and other one the lungs. Removing it allows more flavor to permeate the meat between the bones.

Marsh

I have a fantastic recipe that uses blackberry preserves. Highly recommend. Really, any sweet, fruity preserve, jam or jelly works with ribs.

Ellen

I recommend spooning the sauce over the ribs AFTER you’ve cut them. That way you get the sauce on all the cut sides too.

Lona

I always slow roasted a recipe like this at 250°F for two hours. No aluminum foil wrapping needed. Then finished in a 400°F oven with glaze.

Robert B.

Don’t use a sharp knife to remove the membrane. Slide a butter knife under the membrane and pull up until it disconnects. Then use a paper towel to pull the membrane off.

Lee/

In the summer (it's bloody cold today in Toronto -17 C) I do the final step (after cooking in the oven) on the BBQ - just watch for burning, it doesn't take long. What I like about this 2 step technique is that you can do the oven part ahead of time (even day before). Then just a few minutes on the grill or under the broiler and voila!

Janet

Better yet ask the butcher to remove the membrane. Not easy sometimes, even with the paper towel

DT

Haven't tried this yet, but it seems like it would really benefit by adding ginger and/or garlic and/or star anise to the glaze.

Claire

You could just use any lidded pan that the ribs fit in. The point, I believe, is that they are steaming in their own liquid so as long as they are sealed a pan or dutch oven should work just fine. I often use a big cast iron skillet with a lid for things like this.

Ali

The glaze tastes like grape candy that grew up. Easiest ribs I've ever made and super tasty. Will definitely make again.

May need nly 15 min

Made pretty much according to directions and it turned out really well. After reading the comments I did substitute apricot preserves for grape jelly as we like that better. Didn’t have rice vinegar so used cider vinegar instead.

alex

use only 2/3 of the jam

Michelle

I had to trust the process. As I'm making the sauce with grape jelly I found myself thinking this looks disgusting and it's going to be sickly sweet. Once it is reduced down and is paired with the seasoning on the ribs it works perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised and glad i followed through with the written instructions.

susan

Could be just the recipe to finish up the homemade cranberry sauce, rather than grape jelly, from Thanksgiving!

Tim Cole

This is a wonderful alternative to barbecued ribs, but I find the sauce to be cloyingly sweet - just like Americans want it, of course. Besides, you can't get grape jelly anywhere but in the US. For my European guests, I have experimented with various kinds of jelly and achieved the best result with cranberries. I also substitute the soja sauce for Indonesian Katjab Manis. And finally, I don't crush the garlic and throw it away later, but mince it together with a small onion in a blender.

telesthetic

I've tried lots of ribs recipes, and this is the best bang per buck: very little work for a big taste. I guess you can get better at a dedicated ribs joint when the smoke the meat etc. but for at home ribs that are easy and tasty, this is now my only preparation method. We love meat, and this is yum yum good.

frankeee

Highly recommend buying catfish skinner pliers to make removing membrane a breeze

JP

OK. This is almost embarrassingly easy for an exceptional, crowd pleasing result. It was hilariously satisfying to mention the purple ingredient. Thanks for a fantastic co*cktail party treat!

Helen

Very disappointing recipe. The ribs were steamed, not baked, became mushy and literally fell apart when I managed to disengage them from the foil, to which they had stuck, with most of the juices burning onto the foil. The glaze was fine at first, and I put half on the lumps of meat for broiling, but then congealed to the extent that the rest of it couldn't be put on the finished ribs. Total waste of an expensive rack of ribs.

Jeannette

I added 1 Tbsp each of ginger and garlic powder to the seasoning mix. My ribs were approx. 3lbs. and I cooked them at 350 instead of 325 as I was short on time. They were falling off the bone perfect in 1 hour. I didn't have grape jelly on hand but used apricot fig chutney instead and added the rice vinegar and soy sauce to that. They turned out really well and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them. In hindsight I should've let them marinate with the seasoning mix about 10-15 minutes.

bimini

substitute grape jelly for apricot (my favorite) or cherry- takes this from good to showstopper!!

Fergal O'Doherty

OK, removing the membrane was not at all simple. It was full on Grey's Anatomy. A bit came off, then it snapped. Then another little bit, and so on. Then another piece came off. Better instructions needed. A teaspoon of Worcestershire adds more umami to balance all the sweetness. Also squeeze the juice of two limes over the ribs before serving, with a sprinkling of Tajín to brighten and lighten up the heavy base of the sauce. Does anyone know if there is an Eric Kim fan club?

Bella

Fabulous!!!!

Carolyn in B'ham Michigan

The membrane is slippery. So after separating a small corner of the membrane from the meat with the tip of a sharp knife, grab that small corner using a paper towel and you'll be able to rip it right off. Also - I put the ribs in the oven on 250 for at least 4 hours, with a small pot of water or(better yet!) a can of beer, to slowly dry roast with moisture in the oven (do NOT use convection - the circulating air will dry out the meat). Tender and very delicious.

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Baby Back Ribs With Sweet and Sour Glaze Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you glaze ribs before or after cooking? ›

When the ribs have been cooking for about 3 hours, baste them with the maple barbecue glaze. Let the ribs continue to cook/smoke for about 1.5 hours then glaze them again with the maple barbecue glaze. Total time is about 5 hours. If the ribs are extra meaty, they may require additional cooking time.

What's the best temperature to cook baby back ribs and how long? ›

Shoot for around 2 hours at 350 degrees if the ribs are uncovered, as in our Barbecued Pork Ribs. If wrapped in foil, the ribs can go for up to 3 hours at 300°F degrees, or crank the oven up to 400 degrees for a briefer baking time—1.5 to 2 hours.

Should I put BBQ sauce on ribs before cooking? ›

We have been asked many times on our Facebook and Twitter pages- When do I add sauce to ribs? You will want to add barbecue sauce to your ribs during the final 20-30 minutes of cooking. While brushing on sauce just remember, don't drown your ribs.

What is sweet and sour ribs made of? ›

Combines soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, dry mustard, garlic, as well as a few other simple ingredients to make a delicious sauce for cut ribs. Great over rice, too — some say rice with this sauce is their favorite food! A Lechner family tradition.

When should I glaze my ribs? ›

Like said, start about 30 minutes before you take them off to let the glaze set. Paulie G. Assuming that you are cooking at 250, glaze the meat side of the ribs only, 45 minutes before done time. Then glaze again 20 minutes later.

How long to let glaze set on ribs? ›

After 20 minutes resting, remove the ribs from the foil, lightly glaze one final time and return them to the smoker for 10 minutes—just enough time to let the glaze set. Pull the ribs, let them cool for a bit and then serve them however you please.

Do baby back ribs get more tender the longer they cook? ›

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

Should I bake ribs at 250 or 275? ›

Baby back ribs should be cooked for four hours at 275°F or until they are tender.

At what temperature are baby back ribs the most tender? ›

Anything under that temperature and your ribs will be chewy, stringy, and tough. At 195 degrees F, that tissue starts to gelatinize and turn into tasty, melty deliciousness. Most ribs hit their sweet spot for doneness around 198 degrees F, but some take until 203 degrees F to be perfectly tender.

How do you use BBQ glaze? ›

Glaze Your Food (Carefully!)

If you keep control of the timing you can use barbecue sauce to create a beautiful glaze for your food. Here are a few tips: brush the sauce onto the food and let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes. After that, keep a close eye on it and your tongs in hand.

How long after putting BBQ sauce on ribs? ›

Pour the barbecue sauce generously on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours for baby backs and 1 3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork. As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional barbecue sauce.

Do you put BBQ sauce on both sides of ribs? ›

Feel free to brush both sides of your ribs liberally with WATC BBQ SAUCE. The low sugar content in our sauce along with that lower cook temperature means fewer flare-ups and burning. The sauce also has a perfect consistency to cling to whatever you're making. Wait until you try ribs cooked this way.

Why do you put brown sugar on ribs? ›

Indeed, the perhaps surprising amount of brown sugar will form a crust of the ribs making them especially tender. The sweet to salty ratio is perfectly balanced for succulent bbq ribs, no extra toppings needed. Simple enough that you always have the necessary ingredients, this bbq ribs recipe won't disappoint.

Why put mayo on ribs? ›

Mayonnaise really works,” said Meathead Goldwyn, founder of the popular website, AmazingRibs.com and author of “Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling.” “It sticks really well to the food, helps release food from the hot grill surface, and gets a beautiful golden color.”

What type of ribs taste the best? ›

If you have fewer people, most would choose the St. Louis style ribs because there is more fat, leading to a juicy flavor and tender meat. They are also easier to cook in the oven on a roasting pan or baking sheet,covered in tin foil.

When should I put BBQ sauce on ribs in the oven? ›

During the last 5 minutes of cook time, mix together sauce ingredients. Remove ribs from the oven, remove foil and spread the tops of the ribs with the barbecue sauce mixture.

What happens if you put BBQ sauce on ribs before baking? ›

Usually there is sugar in BBQ that will burn at a high heat. With this recipe, you would want to add the sauce after you take the ribs out of the oven and right before putting them on the grill.

Do you glaze both sides of ribs? ›

Grill the ribs directly on the rack (bone-side down) 3 Hours. Remove ribs, brush glaze on both sides, wrap each in foil and grill 2 Hours.

Do you sauce ribs before or after smoking? ›

3 – The first stage you smoke at a low heat, unwrapped, for 3 hours. 2 – The second stage you smoke at a low heat, for 2 hours, wrapping the ribs in aluminum foil or butcher paper. 1 – The last hour you smoke, unwrapped, and typically add some kind of sauce or glaze for finishing flavor.

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