Ribs are one of the recipes that we have struggled with over the years. It is so easy to overcook and undercook them, particularly on the grill. A few years ago we purchased Nadine Levy Redzepi’s cookbook, Downtime, and made her version of oven baked ribs. Once we made them, we never looked back. The key to this recipe is to generously season the ribs with salt and pepper. If you under season them, they won’t taste like anything and you’ll just be drowning them in bbq sauce to compensate. We love this particular recipe so much because it is so simple and really brings out the taste of the meat. It’s also a much shorter cooking time than other recipes for ribs, which is great when you haven’t planned far ahead before dinner time. We love how the ribs get just a little bit crispy and still have some pull to them, versus falling off the bone like a short rib. You can serve them with barbecue sauce, but we rarely do because they are so delicious on their own!

Scary Salt & Pepper Skeleton Ribs

• Servings: 4
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Our favorite preparation of for ribs, just in time for Halloween dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 rack pork spare ribs
• 1 tbs vegetable oil or avocado oil
• 1 scant tbs kosher salt or sea salt
• freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Use a sharp paring knife or meat carving knife to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. You can do this by turning the ribs bone-side up and gently sliding your knife between the membrane and rest of the rib. Gently pull away the membrane and discard.
3. Rub the ribs with the vegetable oil and season very well on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the ribs on a cookie sheet and into the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Be aware that if there is excess fat on the ribs, the fat will splatter and can cause your oven to get very smoky. Keep a window cracked or your air vent on if this happens.
4. After the 1 hour and 30 minute cooking time, remove the ribs from the oven and gently cover with foil. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.