It’s winter, so while firing up the grill may sound fun, I’d rather fire up the oven. There are a lot of ways to cook pork ribs in the oven. I like the method in James Beard’s Theory and Practice of Good Cooking of roasting until they’re just cooked or still a little pink, but sometimes I want a more crispy on the outside and falling apart on the inside rib. Spare ribs are probably the best choice for this because they’re usually cheaper than baby back ribs – since I’m cooking them a long time tenderness doesn’t matter and the extra connective tissue will dissolve and get tasty. Country-style ribs, which usually appear to be strips of pork shoulder, also work great, as do…strips of pork shoulder.
To get started, set the oven to around 400 F. Leave your ribs together as much as possible to maintain juiciness, cutting them up just enough to fit into your roasting pan. Rub them down with a mixture of any or all of the following:
- salt
- pepper
- cumin
- coriander
- grains of paradise
- chili powder or flakes
- allspice
- thyme
- oregano
Obviously, what you choose to use in your rub depends on how you want your ribs to taste. Just salt and pepper are a good place to start. Rub on your spices to fully coat both all sides of the ribs. Throw them in the roasting pan and into the preheated oven. After about 30 minutes at 400 F turn the heat down to about 250 F and roast for another hour. Towards the end you can baste them with balsamic vinegar, mustard, or hot sauce for a tasty glaze.
