The Sweet Heat of Cajun Dry-Rubbed Ribs 

BY ERIC GUIDO | JULY 17, 2020

I will never forget my first experience with a perfectly cooked, fall-off-the-bone, rack of ribs. Granted, at the time, it was slathered with a heavy sweet-and-spicy barbeque sauce, but even with the intensity of that sauce, the flavor and texture of those ribs shined through like a beacon in the night. In my opinion, no other dish is quite as decadent and satisfies all of the senses, while also being nourishing to the body, mind and soul.  

That experience put me on a path to trying to understand ribs better, which started with the pleasurable task of tasting them as often as possible. This led to discovering what became my true favorite rib preparation: dry-rubbed ribs. Ever since then, I pass on the sauces and the smoke-infused versions, while also preferring to go with spareribs over baby back because what I learned was that a perfectly cooked rack of dry-rubbed spareribs can showcase all of the cuts’ natural meaty flavors, textures and sense of umami. To put this into a wine lover's perspective, imagine the greatest glass of pure varietal wine versus one that’s been heavily oaked. That’s the difference. If you think it sounds odd to hear someone speak so lovingly about a plate of food, then you may have never had perfectly cooked ribs. Today's recipe might provide you with the ideal way to change that. 

The best part of enjoying ribs is that it’s also remarkably easy to make them yourself. The biggest obstacle is time because we are going to be cooking these low and slow, which is the only way to achieve that fall-off-the-bone goodness. Also, with my preparation, you can plan around the actual work in the kitchen and utilize the time in between the few occasions that you need to attend to the ribs to get other things done. As an example, even though the entire process takes about five hours, your involvement will only take a ½ hour.

What’s more, one of the best things about this recipe is that you can easily transform it from dry-rubbed ribs into a barbecue-slathered rack if you prefer that that style, essentially making this preparation the only one you need to please everyone at the table. When it comes to picking the right ribs to use, look for St. Louis-style spareribs, which have the cartilage, sternum, and rib tips already removed - making your job even easier.

As for the dry rub itself, this recipe will make about five ounces, which is more than you need for the ribs; but in my opinion, whenever making a mixture like this, it’s always a good idea to make extra to use on other preparations. My Cajun Dry Rub can be used on steaks, burgers, chicken - basically anything that you want to add some sweet heat to. So, experiment to your heart’s content, and get ready to have a serious dry-rubbed rib experience.

video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect Cajun Dry-Rubbed Ribs." src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1595003067044-video_ribs.png">

The video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect Cajun Dry-Rubbed Ribs.

Cajun Dry-Rubbed Ribs Ingredients:

Cajun Dry Rub (This recipe will make enough Cajun Dry Rub to use in multiple preparations. Have a container ready to store the unused rub.):

¼ cup sweet paprika

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic granules