Slow-Roasted Baby-Back Ribs with Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce

Nothing beats the great outdoors when it comes to slow-cooked baby-backs, but your oven can turn out some deliciously tender, juicy pork ribs too. And the same rule applies: low and slow.

Treat the ribs right after they’re cooked too. That means a bold, flavor-loaded homemade barbecue sauce made with simple ingredients that cooks in about 15 minutes. Here, the sauce is sweet, spicy, and very rich. And very easy.

Now about those ribs: If you’re new to preparing baby-back ribs, be aware that there’s a thin white membrane on the underside that needs to be removed before the ribs are cooked, whether you’re grilling, smoking, or roasting them. Left on, the membrane can turn tough and make the ribs chewy instead of tender.

Sometimes the butcher at your local meat shop will score the membrane by making slashes in it through the length of the rack. This can help get you started, but it isn’t always necessary (or easier) to start with the score line in the middle of the ribs. Instead, use a sharp paring knife to gently scrape the top corner of the underside and pull the membrane away as you scrape. Note: It may not tear off in one nice, easy piece (think wallpaper).

Rib rack 

Pull off membrane 

Ready for spice rub

One more thing: Spice rubs matter, so don’t skip this stage when preparing the ribs. The aromatic spiciness cooks into the meat and adds unbeatable flavor. Remember that the rub needs time to work into the ribs before the cooking begins, so build in time to let them sit in the fridge for at least three hours. Overnight, even better.

Also check out Grilled Baby-Back Ribs with Fresh-Cherry Barbecue Sauce and Smoked Ribs with Spiced Maple Barbecue Sauce.

Serves 2-3

For the Ribs

• 1 tsp dried red chile flakes
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2-1/2-lb-rack baby-back ribs, halved in the middle, membrane removed

Spice Rub Mixture

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red or white onion
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt

Spice Rub Mixture

For the Ribs

1. Combine the chile flakes and cayenne, chile, and garlic powders in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs, covering both top and underside. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours (or overnight).
3. Preheat the oven to 225° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
4. Place the ribs meat side-up on the baking sheet and cover with foil. Roast 2 hours. Turn the ribs meat side-down and re-cover the pan. Continue roasting 1 hour. Remove the cover and turn the ribs meat side-up again.
5. Baste generously with barbecue sauce (recipe follows) and continue roasting, uncovered, until the ribs are very tender 20-30 minutes longer, adding more sauce as desired while the ribs finish.
6. Transfer the rib racks to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs.

Spice-Rubbed Ribs 

After 2 Hours 

Turn Meat-Side Down 

After 3 Hours 

Slow-Roasted Ribs

Serve any leftover sauce alongside, if desired.

Slow-Roasted Baby-Back Ribs with Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce

For the Sauce

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, chipotle and Thai chiles, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.
2. Increase the heat to medium and add the ketchup and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let stand while the ribs finish. (Or, make the sauce a day ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight, and bring to room temperature before using.)

Garlic Mixture Beginning to Cook

Sauce Beginning to Cook

Cooked Sauce 

Spicy Honey-Barbecue Sauce

Grilled Beef Skewers with Korean Barbecue Sauce

I love the big, bold taste of the Korean red pepper paste called “gochujang” This warm, spicy paste is a staple ingredient in Korean cooking and is commonly made from ground rice, soybean powder, hot pepper powder, red pepper powder, and malt. Whatever the ingredients, all I know is this stuff kicks up the flavor of whatever it touches—meat, seafood, even vegetable stir-fries.

You may find gochujang sauce in some markets with an ample international foods aisle, but you’ll probably need to visit a Korean—or general Asian—market to find the paste. It’s worth seeking out.

For this recipe, I used the gochujang as a base for a Korean-style barbecue sauce to slather on tender, juicy grilled beef and vegetable skewers. I think it finished the meat, bell pepper, and onion with a hearty pop of flavor.

Note: I grilled the skewers on foil-wrapped bricks to keep the meat and vegetables a bit elevated above the grill grate. This common Japanese method of grilling is especially handy when you're adding a sauce to the skewers—helps prevent sticking. Read more about that here.

Serves 4

Ingredients 

• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
• 1 tsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling and grilling
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 lb beef sirloin steak (about 1-inch thick), cut into 12 equal pieces 
• 1/4 cup gochujang
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
• 8 1-inch wedges of onion
• 8 1-inch pieces of mixed red and green bell pepper (or all of one color)
• sea salt

Beef Chunks

Preparation

1. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and garlic in a large, sealable plastic bag. Add the beef chunks, seal, and turn several times to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (may also be refrigerated overnight).

Beef in Marinade

1. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, gochujang, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a light simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Place the onion and bell pepper pieces in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and toss to coat.

Sauce Beginning to Cook

Korean Barbecue Sauce

Onion and Bell Pepper

1. Light a grill for medium-high heat.
2. Remove the beef from the marinade and thread 3 pieces onto each of 4 skewers, alternating with pieces of onion and bell pepper. (Soak skewers in water 30 minutes, if wooden.)
3. Grill the skewers until lightly charred in spots and the beef is medium-rare, turning a few times, 8-9 minutes (or to desired degree of doneness). About 2 minutes before the skewers are done, baste the beef and vegetables with the sauce, turning to prevent the sauce from burning.

Skewers Ready to Grill

Skewers Beginning to Grill

Grilled Skewers

Barbecue Sauce Added

Plate the skewers and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot, passing leftover sauce at the table, if desired.

Grilled Beef Skewers with Korean Barbecue Sauce

Oven-Baked Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

When I make fajitas, I usually grill the meat and vegetables, whether outside or in a grill pan on the stovetop. But this time I thought I’d give baking them a try, and the chicken turned out wonderfully tender and juicy, and the peppers and onion gave the dish visual appeal as well as great flavor. And it couldn’t be easier—stir it all together and let it bake.

The “salsa” in these fajitas (which I normally serve as a fresh condiment on the side) is actually a chunky tomato sauce, kicked up with chipotle chiles and a little jalapeno. It provides a very juicy base for the meat and veggies to bake in, keeping everything moist and adding rich, smoky flavor on its own.

For grilled fajitas recipes, check out Grilled Steak Fajitas with Poblanos and Fresh Corn, Chicken Fajitas with Jalapeno Cheese Sauce, or Grilled Beef Fajitas with Guacamole and Hot Pico de Gallo. 

Makes about 10 6-inch fajita wraps

Ingredients

• olive oil, for oiling dish
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 chipotle chiles, finely chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chile powder
• sea salt
• 1-1/4 lbs trimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, sliced vertically into thin strips
• 1 cup sliced green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced orange bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• warm, 6-inch flour tortillas, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Prepared Chicken Thighs

Fajita Vegetables

Prepared Vegetables

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously oil a 13 X 9-inch baking dish.
2. Combine the diced tomatoes, chipotle chiles, jalapeno, garlic, and chile powder in a bowl and season with salt.
3. Place the chicken, onion, all bell peppers, and oregano in the baking dish. Add the tomato mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes.

Chipotle Tomato Sauce

Ready for Sauce

Ready to Bake

Baked Chicken Mixture

Serve the fajitas with tortillas, sour cream, and cheese alongside.

Oven-Baked Chipotle Chicken Fajitas