Ribs roasted in the oven are almost too simple to prepare. This is one of those dishes that makes you wonder how it’s possible for a meal to taste so amazing with so little work. You only need your St.Louis-style ribs as well as a few pantry ingredients; no fancy gadgets or tools are required. Prepare to sit back and relax while your oven handles the heavy lifting!
In this article, we’ll show you the best way to cook St. Louis-style ribs to perfection and all the helpful little tips to ensure delicious results. Make sure to pay close attention to get the best results with your recipe.
Ribs Nutrition Facts
Tips for Cooking St. Louis Style Ribs in the Oven
You’ll find the following tips really helpful when cooking st. Louis style ribs in the oven, so keep them in mind:
Get rid of the thin membrane – It’s crucial to the success of your recipe to remove the thin membrane that typically covers the rack of ribs. When cooked, this membrane can become tough, and since ribs that fall off the bone are the goal for this recipe, the membrane needs to be removed. You may discover that your butcher has already done this for you, but if not, we’ll show you how to do it yourself in the instructions below:
Gently insert a knife underneath the membrane and peel it off the bones with your fingertips. If the membrane proves slippery or difficult to peel off, grab it with a kitchen towel and pull.
The membrane may have already been removed by the butcher or shop where you purchased your ribs; in this case, you’ll have less to do.
Ideal cooking time and temperature – The best and perhaps the most surefire approach to ensure that your ribs end up with a fall-off-the-bone tender quality is to bake them in the oven, covered, at a low temperature. A good idea is for the ribs to be baked at 275°F for two to three hours, just like in the recipe below. This straightforward procedure ensures tender ribs.
Storage and reheating tips – Keep the following necessary information in mind to store your cooked ribs for later use:
- Baked ribs can be typically kept refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freeze them (if you want) for up to 3 months; make sure that they’re wrapped in freezer paper or foil before being kept in an airtight container. Reheat after thawing in the refrigerator.
- Wrap the ribs in parchment paper or foil and reheat in a 300°F oven for 30 minutes or until it’s fully warmed through. If you have any remaining sauce, spread it over the reheated ribs before serving.
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Cooking Time for St. Louis Style Ribs in the Oven
Keep the following timing guidelines in mind when cooking St. Louis style ribs in the oven:
| Cooking procedure | Cooking time |
| Cooking st. Louis style ribs in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit | 2 to 3 hours |
Oven-baked St. Louis-style Ribs (4 Servings)
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ pounds of St. Louis-style ribs
- Salt and black pepper
For the Barbecue sauce:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ¼ cup of finely diced onion
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ cup of ketchup
- 1 tablespoon of hot chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135C).
- Remove the thin membrane that covers the back of the rack if it is still attached to the ribs.
- Season the ribs on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Apply the spice rub on the ribs at this point if you’re using one. Place the ribs in a rimmed baking sheet or a large roasting pan, with the meat side facing up. (Cutting the ribs in half may be required in order to fit them well into the pan.)
- Use a piece of aluminum foil to cover the baking sheet or the pan tightly. Afterward, bake the ribs for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat slips easily off the bones. After 2 hours, it’s important to check on the ribs to see how they’re doing. As soon as the meat gets cooked through and soft, the ribs are ready.
- Prepare the barbecue sauce while the ribs are baking. In a saucepan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat.
- Cook the onions in the heated oil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are tender and transparent. Keep cooking for another 30 seconds after adding the cumin.
- Mix the ketchup, brown sugar, hot chili sauce, and apple cider vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Cook the mixture for 2 minutes after stirring everything together. Set the pan aside while the ribs finish cooking.
- Take the ribs out of the oven, toss away the foil, and coat both sides of the ribs liberally with barbecue sauce.
- Optional step: Position an oven rack at the oven’s top. Preheat the broiler to high and cook the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the barbecue sauce caramelizes. (Keep an eye on the ribs during this broiling process to prevent the sauce from burning.
Notes
Recipe notes:
- The recipe calls for St. Louis style ribs, but other varieties of ribs (spareribs, country-style, and baby back ribs) would also work. Cooking time should be similar; however, we recommend checking on the ribs periodically to see how they are going.
- The cooking process or baking time should not change whether you double or triple the recipe described above. However, it’s possible that you’ll need two baking pans.
This recipe yields such tender, delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs that your family will be talking about for a couple of days. It’s much better to cook these ribs low and slow in order to ensure tender results.
The great thing about this recipe is that even if you don’t follow the steps strictly, you can still be sure of tasty results. However, we advise you to follow the cooking instructions as much as you can.
If you would like to see more ideas for cooking st. Louis-style ribs in the oven, we recommend that you take a look at this video recipe.