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BBQ Baby Back Ribs

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks. 

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 pounds baby back ribs (1 large slab)
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Pepper
  • 5 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup red wine or water
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Turn the broiler to high; put the rack 6 inches from the heat.
  2. Prep: If the ribs still have an extra flap of meat on one side, carefully run a small sharp knife between it and the bones, working away from you. As you cut, pull away the flap to separate it; freeze or refrigerate the meat for a stir-fry.
  3. Prep: Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 tablespoon smoked paprika in a small bowl.
  4. Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs; place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until both sides are browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Prep: Chop 2 cloves garlic; put them in a medium saucepan.
  6. Add 1 cup ketchup to the saucepan along with 1/4 cup red wine or water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, while the ribs broil.
  7. Set aside half the barbecue sauce in a small bowl for serving. When the ribs are browned on both sides, start basting with the sauce in the saucepan. Broil, turning a couple times, until the exterior is caramelized and the inside is no longer pink at the bone, 5 to 10 minutes.
  8. Cut the slabs into portions or individual ribs if you prefer and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

BBQ Ginger-Hoisin Baby Back Ribs Substitute five-spice powder for the paprika, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce for 1/2 cup of the ketchup, rice vinegar for the wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger for the garlic. Everything else stays the same.

BBQ Maple-Dijon Baby Back Ribs Replace 1/2 cup of the ketchup with 1/4 cup each Dijon mustard and maple syrup.

BBQ Tofu Use the seasonings and sauce in the main recipe or either of the first two variations to make this go-to plant-based barbecue main dish or snack. Instead of the ribs, use 2 bricks firm tofu (14 to 16 ounces each). Turn a brick onto one side so that the widest sides are perpendicular to the cutting board and cut the brick in half. Cut each half crosswise into planks about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the other brick. Grease the baking sheet with 2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, arrange the tofu in a single layer, then rub the tops with a little more oil before rubbing in the spice mixture. Cook and sauce as directed.