Baked Pork Ribs with Apple Cider and BBQ Sauce
·Prepping the ribs and oven
Preheat the oven to 85°C, bottom heat only. Carefully peel the membrane off the bone side of the pork ribs – it comes away easily if you grip it with a paper towel. Then trim the meat: remove any excess fat and tidy up the edges if needed.
Coating and seasoning
Coat the cleaned ribs with a very thin layer of mustard. Then generously sprinkle them with your favourite rib or pork seasoning rub.
First bake on the rack
Place the prepared ribs on a rack in the middle of the oven, bone side down. Set a roasting tray underneath to catch any dripping juices. Bake for 3 hours, spritzing the meat with water from a spray bottle every so often.
Wrapping in foil with cider
Transfer the tender ribs to a foil-lined tray, this time bone side up. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and dot with thin slices of butter. Carefully pour in the apple cider.
Second bake, wrapped in foil
Turn the oven up to 107°C. Wrap the tray tightly in foil so no steam escapes, and bake the ribs for a further 2 hours. This is what makes them incredibly juicy.
Final bake with BBQ sauce
Carefully remove the foil. Brush the ribs generously with your favourite BBQ sauce and return them to the rack, bone side down again. Bake at 107°C for another hour, until the sauce is beautifully caramelised.
Making a dip from the drippings (optional)
If you're baking in the oven, you can turn the drippings into a great dip. Pour them into a saucepan, add a splash of BBQ sauce and simmer gently until reduced to a thicker, syrupy consistency.
Serving
While the ribs finish baking, fry up some crispy fries or prepare your favourite side dish. Brush the finished ribs with a layer of the dip or BBQ sauce. Serve immediately with the dip and fries on the side. Enjoy!