The Best Baby Back Ribs

I turned seventy on January eighteenth. Seventy years. Born on a Vermont farm in January 1953, and I haven't left Vermont for longer than a few weeks in all that time, and I don't intend to. The number doesn't frighten me. I expected it might — I've been aware of it since I was in my forties, watching it approach the way you watch a landmark on a long road — but here, inside it, it feels simply like the number I am. The age of a man who has done what he's wanted to do with most of the years and is still in the middle of doing it.

Sarah called at eight o'clock exactly. She has called at eight on my birthday every year she's been in her own house because eight in the morning was when I was born, on a January morning in Vermont. She said: seventy, Dad. I said: seventy. She said: how does it feel? I said: like sixty-nine but more settled. She said: that's a good answer. I said: it's the honest one.

Carol drove over for dinner and I made the beef tenderloin — the reverse sear method, the one I've arrived at, with roasted potatoes and a good salad and the Burgundy she brought. She made a toast: seventy years of a life worth living. Five words. The right five words. Bill's card was on the table because I'd opened it that morning: seven sentences, the last one reading: Walt, I didn't know, when I found your blog, that I would find you. I told Carol about the card. She said: put it on the windowsill. I did.

Teddy called at four. Same time, sixth year in a row. He said: seventy. I said: yes. He said: are you all right with it? I said: more than all right. He said: good. Sunday lesson this week? I said: always. He said: I'm making something new. I said: tell me Saturday. He said: I want it to be a surprise. At fifteen he's learned how to hold a thing back for the right moment. That's a real quality.

The beef tenderloin was what I made that night, but ribs are what I’ve been thinking about since — the kind of meal that earns its own occasion, that asks something of you and gives back more. Carol’s toast was five words and it was enough; a rack of ribs cooked right doesn’t need much more than time and attention, which is a principle I’ve come to respect at seventy as much as I do in anything else. If you’re going to mark a day worth marking, cook something that takes patience and rewards it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 to 5 lbs total)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Prep the ribs. Remove the membrane from the back of each rack by sliding a butter knife under it near one end, gripping it with a paper towel, and pulling it away in one firm motion. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
Make the dry rub. Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and dry mustard in a small bowl. Stir until evenly mixed.
Season generously. Rub the spice mixture all over both racks, coating the top, bottom, and sides. For best results, wrap the seasoned ribs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat and prepare. Heat your oven to 275°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the ribs bone-side down on the sheet and cover tightly with another layer of foil, crimping the edges to seal.
Low and slow. Bake covered for 2 hours and 30 minutes, until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends and the ribs are tender when pierced with a knife.
Make the glaze. Stir together the barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl.
Glaze and finish. Remove the top foil. Brush the ribs generously with the glaze. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and return the ribs, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes until the glaze is caramelized and slightly sticky. Brush with a second coat halfway through if desired.
Rest and serve. Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before slicing between the bones. Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

The Best Baby Back Ribs — A Birthday Dinner Worth Every Year