Easy Oven Baby Back Ribs

Combine 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne and ½ teaspoon ground allspice.

Remove membrane from ribs by loosening with a butter knife and pulling off, using a paper towel for grip. Cut each rack in half to facilitate handling. Massage ribs with spice rub, covering every surface, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator one hour before starting to cook, and place on a foil-lined roasting pan or other large shallow baking dish.

Heat oven to 450°F. Combine pepper jelly, gochujang and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. Place ribs in oven and cook for 20 minutes. Add about 1½ cups beef broth to pan—just enough to coat the bottom of the pan—and reduce heat to 325°F. After an hour, add more beef broth to replace whatever evaporated. Brush ribs on all sides with the pepper jelly mixture.

Cook for at least one more hour, until ribs pull easily from the bone, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

*Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste, and can be readily found in specialty markets, large supermarkets or online.

Hess 2019 Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley); 90 Points.

Pork baby back ribs are usually served with a sweetish glaze like this one, which goes well with a fruit-forward wine that still has good structure. A Napa Cab can show a nice balance of black fruit with oaky notes that can suggest smoke or wood fire. While they sometimes need age to soften, this is a textbook example of one that’s ready to drink, full of ripe black cherry, toasty oak and dried chili that reflects the spice rub and pepper jelly.

Or try it with a rye whiskey

Rye works well with sauces that are more vinegary and spicy than sweet.