Joi Ito — Cooking
Recipe

Barbecue Ribs, Precision Oven

For the original recipe and instructions, see “Barbecue Ribs, Precision Oven” at Joi Ito, adapted from J. Kenji López-Alt / Anova Culinary

Joi’s recipe 4 Cook 12 to 36 hours ribs, pork, meat, pork spare ribs, BBQ

Description

St. Louis ribs cooked in the Anova Precision Oven in sous vide mode instead of a water bath, with a dry rub, liquid smoke, and a ketchup-molasses sauce. Two temperatures: 63°C for 36 hours gives a dense, meaty rib that slices like steak; 74°C for 12 hours gives the soft, shreddable texture of a smoked rib. No bags, no vacuum sealer, and the finishing step runs in the same oven.

Notes

Adapted from Sous Vide Barbecue Ribs (Anova) (J. Kenji López-Alt / Anova Culinary): https://recipes.anovaculinary.com/recipe/barbecue-ribs

Ingredients

  • SPICE RUB
  • 1/3 cup / 80 ml paprika
  • 1/3 cup / 80 ml dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml whole yellow mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon / 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml granulated garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml whole coriander seed
  • 1 teaspoon / 5 ml red pepper flakes
  • RIBS
  • 2 whole racks St. Louis-cut pork ribs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons / 7 ml liquid hickory smoke (Wright's or Colgin)
  • SAUCE
  • 1 medium yellow onion, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups / 320 ml ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml spicy brown mustard
  • 1/3 cup / 80 ml dark molasses
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml apple cider vinegar

Directions

RUB

  1. Pull the membrane off the bone side of each rack. Grip a corner with a paper towel and peel.
  2. Cut each rack into portions of 3 to 4 ribs.
  3. Grind the paprika, brown sugar, salt, mustard seed, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, and pepper flakes to a powder. Keep 3 tablespoons (45 ml) aside for the sauce.
  4. Coat the ribs on all sides with the rest of the rub. Brush each portion with a few drops of liquid smoke.
  5. Set the portions on a wire rack over a sheet pan, bone side down, not touching. Refrigerate uncovered 4 to 12 hours. This is the dry brine; the bag in the water-bath version does the same job.

COOK (ANOVA PRECISION OVEN) 6. Oven: Sous Vide Mode, steam 100%, rear element, middle rack. Temperature 63°C / 145°F for meaty ribs or 74°C / 165°F for traditional ribs. Set the probe target to the oven temperature. 7. Put the sheet pan in. Cook 36 hours at 63°C or 12 hours at 74°C. If the tops look dry after the first few hours, tent the pan loosely with foil. Keep the door closed. 8. Finish now, or cool the pan in the refrigerator. Cooked ribs keep 5 days.

SAUCE (skip for dry ribs) 9. Whisk the reserved rub, grated onion, ketchup, mustard, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, and the rest of the liquid smoke in a saucepan. Simmer gently until thick, about 20 minutes.

FINISH (same oven) 10. Pat the ribs dry. Oven: Bake, no steam, top and bottom elements, 150°C / 300°F. Ribs on the rack, meat side up, 20 minutes, until the surface sizzles. 11. Brush with sauce, 10 minutes. Brush again, 10 minutes, until tacky. For dry ribs, rub with the reserved spice mix instead and bake 40 minutes total for a bark. 12. Optional: Broil, top element, 230°C / 450°F, 3 to 5 minutes, watching it. 13. Brush once more and serve with the rest of the sauce.

NOTES ON THE CONVERSION Time is the same as the water bath: 100% steam transfers heat about as fast as water. Without a bag the surface dries and the smoke note is fainter, which the sauce covers; for dry ribs, double the liquid smoke in step 4.