These oven-baked country-style ribs are so meaty and tender! The fat melts into them as they cook, then beautifully browns under the broiler.
It's a truly easy recipe - the oven does all the work! So sit back, relax, and await your fabulous meal.
I'm a big fan of simply cooked fatty meats and I'm also a fan of oven-baking, the ultimate hands-off approach to cooking. Take a fatty cut of meat, season it, then bake until tender. You may then broil it briefly to brown the fat. Easy and tasty!
This is the technique I use when I make oven brisket, and I use the same one when making these ribs. It's one of my favorite cuts to get at Costco, second only to their amazing pork belly.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty pork ribs recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Boneless country-style pork ribs: As I said, I usually get them at Costco. I highly recommend getting ribs that come from the pork shoulder and not from the loin. The pork shoulder is fatty and juicy. The loin is much leaner and can become quite dry.
Smoked salt: Available on Amazon - see link below in the recipe card. I think it's important to use smoked salt in this recipe and not regular salt. It really enhances the flavor of the ribs.
Spices: Black pepper, smoked paprika (much better than regular paprika in this recipe), dried thyme, and cayenne pepper.
Instructions
Cooking country-style ribs is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to arrange the ribs in a rimmed baking dish.
Next, mix the remaining ingredients and sprinkle them on top of the ribs.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the ribs for 2 hours at 325°F.
Transfer the ribs to a broiler-safe pan and broil them briefly to brown the fat, keeping a close eye on them while they're under the heating element.
Expert tips
- There's no need to grease the baking dish. The ribs will release plenty of fat while they cook.
- The step of broiling the cooked ribs is optional, but recommended. It's best to turn the ribs on their side or even turn them over, so that the fatty parts are exposed to the heating element.
Frequently asked questions
These gorgeous slabs of meat, with beautiful fat marbling throughout, don't actually come from the rib area. Rather, they come from the pork shoulder, near the loin.
They are meatier than other rib cuts, and they contain no rib bones. I see that as a plus. Because while bones add flavor and juiciness to meat, they also make it more difficult to eat.
Some recipes instruct you to boil or steam ribs to tenderize them, and this might be a good idea if you plan on grilling them.
But I cook them in the oven, and I find that slow cooking them in a low oven achieves great results with much less effort. So I don't bother with boiling or steaming.
If you try to simply grill them, they will come out tough. They come from a part of the animal that needs to be cooked low and slow. That's why I like slow-cooking them in a low oven. They come out wonderfully tender when cooked this way!
I cook them for 2 hours, covered, in a 325F oven. I then finish them under the broiler to brown the fat.
Serving suggestions
Since this is such a fatty cut of meat, a little goes a long way. Six ounces of cooked ribs per person is plenty.
As for sides, I simply serve them with a tossed salad (this arugula salad is very good) or some plain steamed veggies (steamed cabbage is excellent and goes well with pork). They are so rich and fatty and satisfying, there’s really no need for anything else.
Storing leftovers
Like all slow-cooked meats, the leftovers of this dish are excellent. You can keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
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Recipe card
Oven-Baked Country Style Pork Ribs
INGREDIENTS
- 3 lb. country style pork ribs (about 8 ribs)*
Dry rub:
- 2 teaspoons smoked salt (available on Amazon)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Arrange the ribs in a single layer in an ungreased 9 X 13-inch rimmed baking dish.
- Mix together the dry rub ingredients, and sprinkle the rub on top of the ribs.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with heavy duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil), and bake until the ribs are very tender, about 2 hours.
- With a slotted spatula, remove the cooked ribs to a broiler-safe, foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Either flip them or place them on their side, so that the fat is exposed to the heating element. The goal is to brown it.
- Switch the oven to broil on high ( 500°F) and set an oven rack 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below).
- Baste the ribs with the pan juices, then broil them until the fat is browned, 3-4 minutes.
- Baste the ribs one more time with the pan juices and serve.
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NOTES
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 