zillenial nest

My dad was undoubtedly the master of weeknight meals in our family growing up. From whipping up efficient beef and onion stirfry’s to executing piping hot bowls of homemade pho in a matter of mere 1-2 hours, from the time he got home from work and then picking up my sister and I from school, he was a focused, well-oiled machine in the kitchen, chopping, stirring, measuring, cooking to make sure that dinner was on the table promptly by the time my mom arrived home from work and well before his beloved 6pm ABC news.

These days, I have a new appreciation for the love and effort that went into making sure we had something new and fresh to eat everyday. Nowadays, everyday I am home from work, I find it a daily struggle to resist the temptation to make do with leftovers or frozen food or just grab some takeout and couch-rot.

Today’s recipe is one inspired by my dad’s weeknight baby back ribs. His were simple, yet tried and true: a liberal garlic salt sprinkle, 1 hour bake in the countertop convection oven, glaze with store bought bbq sauce, and 5 minute broil. No fancy frills and it did the job on a Tuesday night.

My version of ribs are also meant to be weeknight-able, but I’ve also added my own twists: specifically, an espresso spice rub, apple cider vinegar braise, and baking hot and fast in the conventional oven. Fair warning, I happen to like my ribs with a bit of bite and chew. These are not meant to be fall-off-the-bone fork tender. Instead, I aimed for these ribs to be succulent and gnaw-able. It’s actually this precise preference that makes these ribs better for weeknights – the hot and fast method achieves a chewier meat much better than a slow and low smoke.

Weeknight Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 65 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Espresso Brown Sugar Spice Rub:

• 1 single shot size dose of espresso grounds (about 7-8 grams)
• 1/8 cup smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp ground mustard
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp dried rosemary finely chopped
• 1/8 cup dark brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp cumin
• 4-5 tbsp salt
• 3-4 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

*All measurements for the spice rub are adjustable to taste! I don’t really measure when I make this, I just throw them together, taste, and adjust for the flavor I want.

** These measurements may also make more rub than what you need for one rack of ribs. I usually make a large batch of spice rub and store it in an empty spice container to keep it on hand for next time. Since it is all dry ingredients, it will last you a while.

Ribs:

• 1 rack of ribs
  • I usually buy a three pack of baby back ribs from Costco and keep them in the freezer. I bake one at a time, but you can absolutely bake more if you’d like.
• OPTIONAL: Binder ingredients – Korean or Japanese mustard (I use the Chung Jung One Hot Mustard Paste tube) + Kewpie mayo. You may also use any mustard or mayo you have.
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raw apple cider vinegar
• BBQ sauce of your choice for glazing
  • Since it is a weeknight meal, I am using the store-bought Kinder hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce. However, if you do want to make your own BBQ sauce, I’d recommend an espresso bourbon BBQ sauce to pair beautifully with the coffee rub.

Instructions:

1. Make the spice rub by combining all ingredients. This can also be made in far in advance in a large batch and stored. 

2. Prepare your rack of ribs by removing silver skin and trimming excess surface fat. If your ribs are already pre-cleaned-up, you can skip this step. 
3. If you are using a binder, apply this now. My preferred binder is a mixture of Korean mustard (or Japanese mustard) and Kewpie mayo since I always have these in my fridge. Apply to the meat on both sides in a thin layer before adding the dry rub. 
4. Generously apply dry rub to the ribs on all sides. Make sure to pat it in and that all surfaces are coated evenly. You can do even do this step the night before and leave the ribs to season in the fridge until ready to cook the next day. 

5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
6. Place the ribs (bone side down) onto a large baking tray lined with aluminum foil. 
7. Fold up the four edges of the foil at about 1/2 inches away from the outer edge so that the foil makes a tray. Pour about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar into the foil tray. With another sheet of foil, create a tent over the ribs and crumple the edges to secure. Essentially, you are creating an apple cider vinegar sauna for your ribs. 

8. Place covered ribs in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour. You can check partway through, and if your apple cider vinegar has completely evaporated, refill the steam chamber. 
9. After an hour, check the temperature by poking several places in the ribs rack with a food thermometer. Hopefully, you are now reading 195 degrees Fahrenheit. If so, continue to the next step. If not, continue to bake until you reach that temperature. 

10. Turn your oven on broil and prepare the top rack. Drizzle or coat your rack of ribs with barbecue sauce. 
11. Broil the ribs on the top rack uncovered until the barbecue sauce gets bubbly and caramelized. At this point, it should start smelling like the smoker. This can take between 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to char/ burn your ribs too much. 

12. Remove pan from the oven. Let rest if you'd like before cutting. Or, if you're like me, cut into them immediately because you are impatient and salivating. To have an easier time cutting them evenly, flip the rack so that it is bone-side-up. Then, cut between the visible bones to separate the riblets. I also sometimes like to lay cut ribs back in the pan, so that they soak up some of the juices, sauce, and braise. 

Serving Suggestions:

These ribs are amazing on their own and with your favorite BBQ sides. I like mine with a kale slaw or other salad, elote corn, or literally just rice.

Happy eating!