I’ve been making a variation of these ribs for years, and, quite frankly, they’re freaking delightful. The meat literally collapses off the bone after slow roasting in the oven for a few hours, and that sticky-sweet apricot glaze, spiked with fresh ginger and apple cider, is something akin to a young lover’s passionate embrace on a hot, humid Southern evening.
Whew — is it getting hot in here?
There a few key things you should know before you set about making these apricot-glazed sticky pork ribs: 
BUY ST. LOUIS-STYLE RIBS.
First of all, there are different cuts of pork ribs, and for this recipe you should buy St. Louis-style ribs as opposed to baby back ribs. Well, the first difference is in the price (St. Louis ribs are generally cheaper). Baby back ribs are smaller, upper ribs cut from where the rib meets the spine. They’re less fatty than the larger St. Louis ribs, which are cut from the belly. Some people prefer baby back ribs because they’re meatier, but I actually prefer the St. Louis style ribs because of the marbling (i.e., the fat).
CUT THE MEMBRANE OF THE RIBS.
One of the most important things you can do to make sure your pork ribs turn out really, really tender is to cut the membrane off of the back of the ribs. The membrane is a silvery-stretchy film covering the entire back (i.e., not the meaty side) of the ribs. I generally remove the membrane by starting at one end of the rack and grabbing a firm grip using a paper towel to pull the membrane off, shoving my fingers indelicately in between the membrane and the bone to loosen it up as I go. In case that’s as clear as mud to you, here’s a video on how to do it that I believe may have been narrated by a relative of Barry White’s.
BE PATIENT.
I’m fairly certain that my pork ribs are my husband’s third-favorite thing about me (after my breathtaking good looks and winning personality, of course). I know this because I made him a rack of ribs shortly after we began dating when I learned he’d never eaten pork ribs before. This life fact struck me as deeply, deeply sad, since ribs are basically one of the world’s most perfect foods and are widely available, which also led me to to wonder if maybe my then-boyfriend was one of those people who basically hadn’t had a truly happy moment before meeting me. Now that we are married, I know this fact to be about 86% true. He did get to go to EPCOT as a kid.
The point of this sad story is basically that, like all good things, you have to wait for these ribs to become the perfection that they can be. These ribs slow roast in a low-heated oven for 3 and a half hours, and you can’t sliver off a minute of that time. So these aren’t like, weekday ribs unless you are working from home and can set your Microsoft Teams status to “Roastin’ Ribs” every time you need to do a spot-check on the roasting progress.
I served these pork ribs with Chrissy Teigen’s mac and cheese recipe, which uses a terrifying amount of cheese but is also sinfully and satisfyingly creamy. If you’re looking for something lighter, try this skillet cornbread (originally paired with my vegetarian chili), my favorite celery and apple slaw or our staple weekday French carrot salad.
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Apricot Glazed Pork Ribs
- Total Time: 230 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Fall-off-the-bone tender pork ribs, glazed with a sweet and tangy apricot sauce. A crowd-pleasing BBQ recipe for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis style pork ribs
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 cup (237 ml) apple cider
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) apricot jam
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) ketchup
Instructions
- Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Flip the ribs over, loosen the silvery membrane on the back with the blunt side of a knife, and pull it away.
- Find a baking sheet large enough to hold the ribs and line it with aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the baking sheet.
- Mix together the spices for the dry rub. Generously season the meaty side of the ribs with the dry rub. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.
- An hour before roasting, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and keep them covered to bring the meat to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Place the ribs in the oven, uncovered, and roast for 2.5 hours with the meat side up.
- While the ribs are roasting, mix the ingredients for the cooking liquid together. Remove the ribs from the oven, flip them over so the meaty side is down, and pour the cooking liquid into the baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil.
- Roast for an additional hour.
- While the ribs are roasting, mix together the ingredients for the apricot glaze. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and drain the cooking liquid. Preheat grill or oven broiler to 500°F (260°C). Brush the ribs liberally with apricot glaze.
- Broil or grill for 3-4 minutes, then brush with more glaze and broil/grill for another 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cut, and serve immediately with leftover glaze.
Notes
- For a deeper smoky flavor, use smoked paprika and consider adding a few drops of liquid smoke to the dry rub.
- If you don’t have apple cider, substitute apple juice; for a richer glaze, use apricot preserves instead of jam.
- Leftover ribs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheated in the oven or on the stovetop; the glaze can be stored separately.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 210 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 rack
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 100
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between St. Louis-style ribs and baby back ribs?
St. Louis ribs are trimmed spare ribs with the cartilage removed, producing a rectangular rack that cooks more evenly. Baby back ribs are smaller, leaner, and more curved, and they cook faster.
How do I remove the silverskin membrane from pork ribs?
Use the blunt side of a knife to loosen one corner of the membrane on the bone side, then grip it with a paper towel and pull it off in one piece.
What is the best way to tell when ribs are done?
The meat should have pulled back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch, and a toothpick inserted between the bones should slide in with little resistance.
Can I make these ribs on a grill instead of in the oven?
Yes. Cook indirect over low heat (around 250°F / 121°C) for 3-4 hours, then apply the glaze and move over direct heat for the final 10-15 minutes.
What can I substitute for apricot jam in the glaze?
Peach jam or orange marmalade are the closest substitutes and provide similar sweetness and fruit flavor to balance the savory spice rub.
I can’t wait to try these (but I will as I only have baby back ribs in the freezer right now). My boyfriend loves his ribs, which he douses in store-bought BBQ sauce. Nothing wrong with them, but I’d like to try something a little less sugary sweet.