Country Style Ribs In The Oven

Country Style Ribs in the Oven recipe is one of the easiest recipes for a crowd or smaller family dinner. Made with a simple homemade dry rub that is loaded with flavor and boneless pork ribs. This makes a wonderful main dish for celebrations or for extremely easy cooking.

In the summer these ribs are wonderful along side Tabouli Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad or my Summer Pasta Salad. During the cooler months Creamy Mac and Cheese, Roasted Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato Cakes taste amazing with these ribs. Also, who can turn down a crusty Sourdough Baguette, Homemade Garlic Bread or Old Fashioned Corn Bread served with these ribs?

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What Are Country Style Ribs

The most confusing element of Country Style Pork Ribs is that they are actually not ribs at all. This cut of meat comes from either the pork shoulder or the blade end near the shoulder. However, the most important part for a home cook to know is that this cut of meat has good fat marbling and great flavor. Additionally, it can be cooked low and slow or cooked rather quickly as you will see with this recipe. 

Best Rib Rub To Use

Hands down my Husband Approved Dry Rub recipe is amazing on these Country Style Pork Ribs because it has a great balance of spice to sweetness and creates a gorgeous caramelization on the ribs. Additionally, the flavor pairs well with many of the side dishes listed above. 

Ingredients Needed

• 2- 2 1/2 pounds Boneless Country-Style Pork Ribs
• Husband Approved Dry Rub ( brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder and black pepper)

Bone In vs Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

For this recipe either the bone in or the boneless Country Style Pork Ribs may be used. The main difference is that the boneless version can be cut into smaller pieces, making for very uniform cooking. With both versions cook to an internal temperature of 145℉.

Equipment Needed

• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Spoon and Cups
• Roasting Pan
• Bowl (to mix dry rub)
• Meat Thermometer 

How To Make Country Style Ribs in the Oven with Dry Rub

1. Cut the boneless country style ribs into pieces that are about 2 x 2 inches or as close to a square as possible. 
2. Mix together the spices for the dry rub. Coat the cut ribs in the dry rub.
3. Make sure all the sides of the ribs are fully coated.
4. Place ribs in a single layer in an un-greased roasting pan, allowing space around each rib. Note: Having space in-between the ribs allows the hot air to flow around all the surfaces, helping to achieve caramelization.
5. Bake uncovered at 325℉ for approximately 45 minutes- 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 145℉ and the surfaces of the ribs have caramelized. Note: During the hot and humid months of summer, baking times may increase from 1 1/2-2 hours to achieve caramelization. However, it is important to not over bake the ribs thereby drying out the meat. Lowering the temperature to 250℉ and baking for the longer time can be an easy solution to this. 

Storing Leftovers

Once these ribs are baked it is best to store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Leftovers are delicious when diced on top of salads, inside of quesadillas or just reheated in the microwave for 3-4 minutes on power level 8. 

Although leftover ribs store well in the refrigerator they do not hold up as well in the freezer. They can be frozen in an airtight container for a few months. However, the caramelized crust is dramatically impacted when frozen.

Recipe Tips

• Boneless ribs produce a decent amount of juices when cooked. Because of this it is best to use a roasting pan with its higher sides rather than a baking sheet. 
• Do not worry about covering these ribs with aluminum foil. It is best to cook them uncovered to help with the caramelization of the dry rub.
• A boneless pork shoulder roast can be used to make Boneless Country-Style Pork Ribs. When cutting the roast, cut longer strips that are approximately 2 inches in thickness. From there cut 2 x 2 inch pieces. 
• The dry rub may be a bit too spicy for those with delicate taste buds. To create a dry rub the whole family can eat, lower the chipotle powder to 1/2 teaspoon (or eliminate) and increase the smoked paprika to 2 tablespoons. Also, chili powder can replace the chipotle powder. 
• In addition to the sides mentioned at the beginning of the post, some of our other favorite ways to serve these ribs is with Potato Salad, Green Bean Salad or with a Simple Coleslaw or a Mexican Coleslaw. Also, in the spring months these ribs are wonderful with fancy salads such as Strawberry Walnut Salad, Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad or Springtime Pasta Salad. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these Country Style Ribs need to be broiled?

No, these Country Style Ribs do not need to be broiled. However, sometimes during the hot humid summer months the caramelization doesn’t take as well with the dry rub. If that is the case, broiling these ribs for about 5 minutes can help.

What happens if I cook these ribs at 250℉ instead of 325℉?

As mentioned above in the What are Country Style Ribs section, this cut of meat cooks very well at a lower temperature such as 250℉.  Although these ribs are already tender when cooked at 325℉, baking at 250℉ will add just another layer of tenderness and require approximately an additional hour of cooking time. Also, the lower temperature is often a huge help during high humidity months in helping to achieve caramelization. 

Where is the best place to purchase boneless Country-Style Pork Ribs? 

Many grocery stores will carry these ribs. However, I love purchasing them from Costco in the large family pack. When I return home I immediately break them up into smaller serving sizes and freeze. Purchasing them this way makes them highly economical and having them on hand in the freezer is a huge help with menu planning. 

What does caramelized on these ribs mean?

Basically with coating these ribs in the dry rub mixture, the sugar in the dry rub darkens and develops a toasty butteriness when exposed to the heat from baking. In a nut shell, it takes the flavor from delicious to over the top deliciousness. 

Can BBQ Sauce be added to these ribs?

Yes, these ribs can absolutely be coated with a Homemade BBQ Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce. To do so follow the directions within the recipe. Once the ribs are baked, coat with a layer of BBQ sauce and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and give the ribs a second coating and bake for 10 additional minutes. 

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Easy Broiled Pork Chops

Oven Baked Dry Rub Ribs

Country Style Pork Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut

Crispy Baked Pork Chops

Homemade Chorizo

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Homemade Italian Sausage