The most difficult part of making these ribs is waiting for them to be ready. And the best part is that they practically make themselves. It is said that ribs should be cooked low and slow, and this recipe does just that. Cumin, oregano, and chipotle chiles slowly infuse into the meat of these ribs for 3 hours before they are glazed with honey and adobo. A winning combination!

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　2 racks (about 5 pounds total) baby back ribs or spareribs

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　4 canned chipotle chiles

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　2 tablespoons dried oregano

　　4 cloves garlic

　　2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

　　1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

　　1 cup honey

　　1/2 cup adobo sauce from canned chipotles

　　

Prepare the Ribs

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Position one oven rack on the bottom and the second one in the center of the oven.

　　

Step 2

Before getting started, make sure the bottom (the bony side) of the ribs are lightly scored (have small gashes). If they are not, create shallow 1-inch-long gashes throughout the bottom side of the rib racks. (This is to help the ribs cook evenly.)

　　

Marinate the Ribs

Step 3

Combine the olive oil, chipotle chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor or blender and process until you have a coarse puree. You may need to scrape down the side of the blender jar or processor bowl a few times.

　　

Step 4

Place a piece of plastic wrap that is a bit longer than the length of the ribs on your counter and put one of the rib racks in its center. Pour half of the marinade over the ribs and coat both sides well. Wrap the plastic securely around the rib rack.

　　

Step 5

Next, wrap a large piece of aluminum foil around the plastic-lined rib rack, making sure to cover all the plastic and seal it well. Repeat the same procedure with the second rack.

　　

Step 6

Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.

　　

Roast

Step 7

Fill a large roasting pan with 2 inches of water and place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Place the two foil-wrapped rib packages on an oven rack situated right above the pan filled with water and roast for 3 hours. Make sure to check on the water level every hour or so and refill as needed.

　　

Glaze

Step 8

Remove both rib packages and the water-filled roasting pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.

　　

Step 9

In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey with the adobo sauce until well blended. Set aside.

　　

Step 10

Carefully remove the foil and plastic wrap from the rib racks and place the racks on a baking sheet lined with foil. Making sure the bony sides of the racks are facing up, brush half of the honey glaze over them. Roast for 10 minutes.

　　

Step 11

Turn the racks over, brush with half the remaining glaze, and roast for another 5 minutes.

　　

Step 12

Brush the rest of the glaze over the rib rack and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes or until the ribs are a dark golden brown.

　　

Step 13

Remove the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs.

　　

Serve

Step 14

Transfer the ribs to a serving platter and serve.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 15

INGREDIENTS

　　

Step 16

Baby Back Ribs versus Spareribs

　　

Step 17

Ribs can come from either the underbelly or the back (loin section) of the pig. Spareribs come from the underbelly, and have less meat, more fat, and more flavor than baby back ribs, which come from the loin section. St. Louis–style ribs are trimmed spareribs. Feel free to use whichever cut you prefer.

　　

Step 18

TECHNIQUES

　　

Step 19

Roasting the Ribs in Steam

　　

Step 20

Roasting the ribs in a steam oven serves two purposes. First, it helps infuse the ribs with the flavors of the marinade. Second, it helps tenderize them.

　　

Step 21

Wrapping the racks first in plastic and then in aluminum foil also helps to maximize the flavor and texture of the ribs by keeping the marinade in close contact with the meat and not allowing it to dry out during the 3-hour roast. The foil layer is there to keep the plastic wrap from melting. Because the oven is set at a low temperature and there is steam being produced in it, there is no danger of the plastic wrap melting. However, do not attempt this technique with a higher oven temperature.

　　

Step 22

Glazing

　　

Step 23

You can glaze the ribs in the oven as the recipe states or on an outdoor grill.

　　

Step 24

ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　

Step 25

The longer you marinate the ribs, the more flavorful they will be. Ideally you should marinate them for 24 hours.

　　

Step 26

You can roast the ribs a few hours before you plan to serve them and keep them wrapped in the foil until you are ready to glaze.

　　Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.