These slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone BBQ pork ribs are beyond perfection. They are super tender and sticky and sweet and tangy and are the perfect rib for whatever summer/fall/winter/spring events you have going on. Yes, they are time consuming- but they are easy to make and I suggest you give them a shot! This recipe is for 2 racks of ribs, a dry rub, and some homemade bbq sauce. The ribs slow cooked for about 5-6 hours in the oven at 275°F. I cooked these for their entirety in the oven, but you can also do them on the grill- or you could slow cook them in the oven and then finish them in the grill!

For the Ribs

2 racks of baby back ribs
2 tbsp of kosher salt
2 tbsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of black pepper
1 tbsp of cumin
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 cup of beef broth
1 cup of apple juice

For the Barbecue Sauce

1.5 cups of ketchup
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbs of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 tbs of honey
3 tbsp of molasses
1.5 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 275°F. While the oven is heating up, remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. This will help the rub penetrate the meat better and make for more tender ribs.

In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder. This will be your dry rub for the ribs.

Rub the dry mixture onto both sides of the ribs, making sure to cover the entire surface.

Place the ribs on a large baking sheet or roasting pan, meaty side up. Pour the beef broth and apple juice into the bottom of the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the ribs.

Cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven. Bake for 3 to 6 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. This round took me 5 1/2 hours to cook in the oven- don’t take them out until the bones and meat separate. I have made ribs a bunch of times where I took them out too early because I thought I was going to overcook them, but the longer you cook them the collagen breaks down resulting in delicious tenderness!

While the ribs are cooking, prepare the barbecue sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika.

Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.

Once the ribs are done, remove them from the oven and move the rack in the oven to the second from top rack and turn the oven on broil.

Brush the barbecue sauce onto the ribs, making sure to coat them evenly.

Place the ribs back in the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the sauce is sticky and caramelized- make sure you keep an eye on them so that they do not burn!

Remove the ribs from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Cut the racks into individual ribs and serve with any remaining sauce on the side.

Enjoy your delicious, tender, fall off the bones baby back ribs!