Honey Barbecue Pork Ribs

Moist and tender, these pork ribs are enclosed and baked to lock in flavour and texture before they are basted in a deliciously savoury and sweet honey barbecue sauce and broiled until slightly charred. Serve these ribs with lots of napkins, because the sauce is sticky and generous!

Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to rib recipes. The most popular are my Copycat Chinese Dry Garlic Ribs. That one is followed closely by my Family Style BBQ Ribs. And, just recently, I published my Bourbon Pork Ribs, which seems to be gaining traction as well. These Honey Barbecue Pork Ribs have some stiff competition!

I’ve said it before in previous rib recipes and it’s worth repeating. The best way to prepare ribs is to bake them at a low temperature for a really long time. I know we all don’t have the time, or the desire, to spend all day in the kitchen. But, I’m happy to report that even though these ribs take a long time, they don’t require constant attention, so you’re free to go about your day.

These ribs take about three hours from start to finish. Because of that, they might not be a good choice for a weeknight dinner option. But, they’re perfect for a Sunday night dinner with family and friends. Or, just about any winter weekend when you’re not able to use your outdoor grill or smoker.

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOCKING IN MOISTURE AND FLAVOUR!

The key to baking ribs and keeping all of that moisture locked inside is aluminum foil. I line my baking sheet with aluminum foil and then I make sure that the ribs are completely covered and that the foil creates a good seal around the perimeter of the baking sheet. This will prevent the ribs from cooking too fast or drying out.

You will want to hold off on the sauce until the meat is fork-tender. Don’t worry, the sauce will have its time too. It will be thick and glossy and baked onto the ribs with more for dunking on the side. Trust me on this! After all, ribs without sauce are just baked meat.

Even though we want the ribs to be juicy and moist, we want them to be tender and literally falling off the bones as well. The ribs are just the ribs. Sure, they will be perfectly seasoned and delightfully tasty, but those perfectly seasoned ribs with that delicious homemade sauce is what makes these ribs so incredible!

TYPES OF RIBS

I have friends and family who much prefer beef over pork. To me, that is just blasphemy! No matter the cut or how expensive the beef was, if sitting next to pork, I’d pick the pork first. To me, it has way more flavour and stays more tender and moist. It’s also much less costly!

Can you use beef ribs in this recipe rather than pork ribs? Absolutely! In fact, you go ahead and treat them the exact same way. I do find that beef ribs are typically chewier than pork ribs. You can cook them both the same way. Beef ribs tend to be much bigger and meatier as well. Other than taste and texture, the biggest difference is the price. Pork ribs are much cheaper.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pork Ribs – You can use baby pork back ribs or pork spare ribs.
• Oil – You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, etc.
• Ground Black Pepper & Salt

FOR THE SAUCE:

• Ketchup
• Honey – Regular honey will do just fine. Save your fancy organic honey for your tea.
• Water
• Brown Sugar – This will add sweetness and caramelization.
• Cider Vinegar – If you don’t have cider vinegar, you can use rice vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Spices and Seasonings – You will need chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, dried red chili flakes, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Liquid Smoke – Optional

HOW TO MAKE HONEY BARBECUE PORK RIBS

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Toss the ribs in a bowl with the cooking oil, salt, and ground black pepper. Place the ribs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake the ribs for 2 hours. (Remove the ribs from the oven and turn each one over after the first hour.)

In the meantime, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the sauce, stirring often until the sauce comes to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, turn off the heat and set aside.

Remove ribs from oven. Remove and discard the foil cover. Return the ribs to the oven for 30 more minutes.
Remove the ribs from the oven and turn the heat on your oven to broil. Use a pastry brush to baste both sides of the ribs with the sauce. Place the ribs under the broiler and broil for 3-4 minutes, turning three or four times, until you have reached the desired level of char. (The ribs in the photos were broiled 3 minutes per side, flipping a total of 4 times.) Plate the ribs, garnish and serve with the remaining sauce. Enjoy!

LET THEM EAT SAUCE!

Alexis Soyer, a 19th-century French chef, once said that sauces in cookery are like the first rudiments of grammar – the foundation of all languages. I couldn’t agree more! I love a good sauce recipe. In fact, sometimes, they don’t need to be recipes at all. Our pantry is always stocked with bottled sauces. One doesn’t always have time to make every sauce from scratch, so store-bought will do just fine!

In the case of these Honey Barbecue Pork Ribs, you can use a store-bought barbecue sauce if that works better for you. You can use any barbecue sauce you prefer. A brand that you already know, use, and trust, would be the best option. I like to serve ribs with sauce on the side as well. Whether you prepare the sauce outlined in the recipe, use a store-bought sauce, or even use your own homemade version, keep some simmering and serve it with the ribs. It’s always good to serve ribs with extra sauce!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!