Not actually ribs — chunks of pork shoulder cut to look like them. Slow-smoked or oven-roasted, glazed with sticky barbecue sauce, served with slaw. The cookout standby that requires very little technique.
Serves 4 to 6Prep 15 minCook 2 hr 30 min
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Ingredients
- 1.5 kg country-style pork ribs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 300 ml barbecue sauce (your favourite)
- 60 ml apple-cider vinegar
Method
- 1Mix all the dry spices to make a rub. Coat the ribs all over and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
- 2Preheat the oven to 150 °C (300 °F) — or set up a smoker at the same temperature with apple or hickory wood.
- 3Place the ribs in a roasting pan in a single layer. Pour the apple-cider vinegar into the bottom of the pan (don't pour over the ribs). Cover tightly with foil.
- 4Cook for 90 minutes, until the meat is tender when poked with a knife.
- 5Remove the foil. Brush half the barbecue sauce over the ribs.
- 6Increase the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, brushing with more sauce every 7 minutes, until the glaze is sticky and lacquered.
- 7Rest 5 minutes. Serve with extra sauce, coleslaw, and bread.
Chef's tip
Country-style ribs vary wildly in fat and bone — adjust the cook time if your batch is leaner (less time) or fattier (more time). They're done when a fork twists easily in the meat.