Few foods are better than perfectly tender ribs, glistening with caramelized BBQ sauce. Now, you can have smokehouse-quality ribs from the comfort of your own home. All it takes is a grill, a few hours, and—okay—a lot of patience. While they're cooking is the perfect time to get the rest of your sides ready. We're talking BBQ classics like coleslaw, potato salad, and cornbread.
For these ribs, a gas grill is ideal, since it'll give you a steady flame and unwavering temperature; however, a charcoal grill with a thermometer will work too. It'll just be slightly more challenging to maintain the temperature. Though, of course, you'll get that extra smoky taste that makes ribs so great.
For the juiciest ribs, remove the membrane before cooking. (The membrane is a thin layer of tissue attached to the underside of a rack of pork ribs.) You can ask your butcher to do this, but if you've already bought the ribs, no problem. Removing the membrane is simple. Slice into it (making a cut parallel to the bones) at one far end of your rack of ribs and pull it off in one piece. Packaged ribs from the grocery store sometimes come with the membrane already removed.
apple cider vinegar
ketchup
packed light brown sugar
garlic powder
smoked paprika
Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
light brown sugar
ground cumin
(3 1/2- to 4-lb.) full rack baby back pork ribs, patted dry
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, Worcestershire, salt, and black pepper. Cook, whisking often, until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool.