The dry rub acts like a cure, tenderizing the meat and making sure the ribs stay juicy, and is full of great spices smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, and a touch of espresso powder. Slow-cooking them sealed in foil keeps in all of the flavor and juices, and the finish, the chipotle glaze, has the perfect balance of heat, sweetness from the honey, and that hint of coffee-bitterness. These are smoky, sweet, and deeply flavorful and will become a staple in your household.
Ingredients
- 2 racks St. Louis–style spare ribs or baby back ribs (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and membranes
For the Dry Rub
- 1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
For the Chipotle Glaze
- ½ (7-ounce) can chipotle in adobo (approximately 2–3 chipotles plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce)
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
How to Make It
- Place the ribs on aluminum foil sheets long enough to cover them, meat-side up. In a small bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients until uniform. Divide the dry rub between the two racks, rubbing into the meat side first and then flipping and rubbing into the bone side. Keep the racks meat-side down and seal the foil pouch tightly. Refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place both foiled racks (meat-side down) on a baking sheet and into the oven for 2 to 21⁄2 hours. The meat should be fork tender and just short of falling off the bone.
- In a blender, purée the chipotles with their sauce, the honey, and the espresso powder. Transfer to a small saucepan, set over medium-high heat, bring up to a strong bubble, and then remove from the heat. This glaze can get pretty spicy, particularly if you’re multiplying this recipe, so make sure to taste it at this stage. You can always add more honey to balance out the heat for your own tastes or even dilute with some ketchup.
- Remove the racks from the foil and brush all sides with the chipotle glaze. You can either finish these under the broiler or on a medium-high preheated grill for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with any remaining glaze.