Tasty Pork Ribs -- When Sunday Calls for Something Worth Celebrating

Presidents' Day. Kids off. I drove Thursday, short run.

Book two revision at 52%.

Gayle had a hard Monday — very tired, breathing effortful. We used oxygen. She recovered. Tuesday onward she was better.

Tyler's SCC scholarship came through Thursday. $2,000 for diesel tech students. He was pleased. He ate five servings at dinner.

Sunday: pot roast.

Between Gayle’s rough Monday and Tyler’s scholarship news landing on Thursday — five servings at dinner, that kid — I wanted Sunday to feel like a proper exhale. Pot roast was already on my mind, but when I opened the fridge and saw what I had, ribs felt right: slow, low-effort, filling the house with something warm while I got back to the revision. Tyler had already earned a celebration meal once this week; there was no reason Sunday couldn’t give him another.

Tasty Pork Ribs

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork spare ribs or baby back ribs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top if available.
2. Make the dry rub. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne in a small bowl. Stir together until blended.
3. Season the ribs. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and brush lightly with olive oil on both sides. Coat generously with the dry rub, pressing it into the meat.
4. Low & slow roast. Place the ribs meat-side down on the rack or foil. Cover tightly with another sheet of foil. Roast for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and beginning to pull back from the bones.
5. Make the glaze. While the ribs roast, stir together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Glaze & finish. Remove the top foil, flip the ribs meat-side up, and brush generously with the glaze. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and roast uncovered for 20–25 minutes, brushing with additional glaze halfway through, until caramelized and sticky.
7. Rest & serve. Let the ribs rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing between the bones. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 680mg