James Beard's Roasted Pork Ribs

There are innumerable recipes available for preparing pork ribs.

This one has been my favorite for nearly 30 years. I clipped it from the newspaper that long ago, it's a winner and never disappoints.

Please don't allow the simplicity of the preparation fool you, these are incredibly flavorful.

You can brush your favorite sauce on the ribs during the last few minutes of roasting, but I never do.

I prefer to serve the sauce warmed, served on the side, to be passed at the table so each diner can add as much or as little as they prefer.

James Beard's Roasted Pork Ribs

About 4 servings

4 pounds meaty pork spareribs.

Baby Back Pork Ribs are excellent prepared this way, those are my favorites for this recipe.

The following proportions are a guideline; the ribs do need plenty of salt, that combined with the roasting technique is what makes these especially flavorful despite the simple preparation.

Up to 2 tablespoons salt (I use Kosher salt, I don't measure I just salt them very generously~ I don't use the entire 2 tablespoons which is called for, but you DO want them heavily salted, lots of it will drip off into the roasting pan as the ribs cook.)

Up to 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.

Again, I use MUCH less, probably only a teaspoon or a bit more. If you love black pepper, load it on.

If you don't love it, use less.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a roasting or broiler pan with aluminum foil, place rack on the foil.

Remove silvery membrane from the underside (non-meaty side of the ribs).

Note: This is an important step no matter what rib recipe you are preparing. The seasonings will be able to permeate the meat, and they ribs will be much more tender without the tough membrane. Believe me, it's worth the effort to remove it.

Rub the ribs generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

Arrange the ribs on the rack in the foil lined pan, meaty side facing up.

Put the pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, turn the ribs over, and cook for another 30 minutes.

When the second 30 minutes are up, the ribs should be nicely browned and fairly crisp on the outside. If not, roast for another 10 minutes and check again.

Cutting and Serving the Ribs:

When you are serving the ribs, cut the rack into separate racks of 3 or 4 ribs per person and place on a platter or plates.

Serve hot.

Pass warmed BBQ sauce separately, if desired.

I love them plain, they are that flavorful when prepared this way.