I’ve portion controlled my ribs by switching smaller spareribs for meatier baby back ribs. And I’m real careful to trim off the excess fat. You’ll find half the amount of sugar in this rub than in my old Memphis Dry Rub. But other than that, this recipe stays pretty true to the original.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 pounds pork spareribs (about 3 racks), back membranes removed and trimmed of excess fat
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, salt, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne. Rub the mixture all over the ribs. Cover the ribs loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Let the ribs come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the ribs, membrane side down, on a wire rack set over the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 3 tablespoons water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and continue cooking until the ribs are very tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes more. Test for doneness by poking a fork between the bones. Let the racks stand for 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs.
Serves 4
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