Tender Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs (2024)

FAQs

How long should I sous vide baby back ribs? ›

Add ribs to the water bath and cover it with a lid, aluminum foil, or table tennis balls. Cook for 36 hours at 145°F or 12 hours at 165°F. Transfer cooked ribs to a large bowl of water filled with ice to chill thoroughly. Ribs can be stored in the refrigerator at this stage for up to 5 days before finishing.

Most ribs hit their sweet spot for doneness around 198 degrees F, but some take until 203 degrees F to be perfectly tender. This spread in final temperature is one reason why thermometers are a great jumping off-point for rib perfection, but not the be-all-end-all indicator.

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

They are THE best way to get ultra-tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs and everyone we've ever cooked these for raves about them. These bbq ribs are rubbed with a smokey dry rub, cooked in a sous vide water bath for 24 hours, slathered with BBQ sauce, and then grilled to perfection.

How Do You Keep Baby Back Ribs From Overcooking? Baby back ribs are a very forgiving cut of meat — they're hard to overcook. The best way to avoid overcooking is to take your time. Keep the ribs at a low temperature.

Smoke for 1 hour (competition) or 2 hours (fall-off). During this time, see that the ribs reach the target temp of 190°-205°F (88°-96°C).

A Few Words on The 2-2-1 Method

The initial 2 hour step is where the smoke flavor gets into the meat, the middle 2 hour step is where the super tenderizing takes place. The last 1 hour step is where the crust develops on the outside.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

Be sure to wrap the foil tightly to lock in moisture, as the steam from the ribs helps tenderize the meat, imbuing it with its own porky flavors. This is pork on pork, and one of the best ways to ensure the juiciest results. Another is the simple glaze you then prepare on the stovetop.

Dry brining with baking soda is an ideal route for making slabs of ribs or roasts because it isn't time-sensitive! With this method, you can tenderize your cuts of meat with baking soda in the morning and have them ready to cook in for your afternoon barbecue or an appetizing feast at dinner.

How do you get super tender ribs? ›

For easy, fork-tender pork ribs, start the ribs in the oven. Place them in a baking pan, pour your favorite pork marinade recipe overtop and cover the pan with foil. Bake the pork ribs “low and slow”….. low oven temperature (300 degrees) for 3 hours.

One thing is certain about ribs and pork: If you overcook them, they do become dry and tough.

Baby back ribs require more delicate treatment so they don't get overcooked and tough, so should be cooked at lower temperatures—no higher than 300 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour if uncovered, like in our Tuscan Ribs or Baby Pork Ribs.

You'll want to let your ribs grill at 275 for four to five hours. Ideally, the internal temperature of the ribs should be between 190 and 200 degrees when you're finished. If you don't already have a meat thermometer, go ahead and invest in one.

Sous Vide Rib Tips

To get this style, I cooked the ribs at 165°F (74°C) for 12 hours which resulted in a traditionally tender, slightly shreddy texture that pulls easily from the bone with just the slightest bit of resistance.

Heat water in a sous vide water bath to 133 degrees F (56 degrees C). Trim any areas of fat left on short ribs; coat thoroughly with garlic and salt. Place ribs into a large, resealable plastic bag. (Use two bags if necessary to leave plenty of room between ribs.)

Baked ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen for 3 months (I double wrap them before freezing). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Because of their leanness, baby back ribs typically cook more quickly than spare ribs. However, it's important to keep in mind that despite the shorter cooking time, baby back ribs still benefit from a slow and gentle cooking method, whether that's smoking, grilling, or baking.