You do not need a smoker or a grill to make ribs worth eating. A low oven does the same slow work, breaking down the tough connective tissue over a few hours until the meat gives way at a touch. The oven is steadier than a grill anyway, so it is hard to mess up.
Prep the rack
Flip the ribs over and peel off the thin silver membrane on the back. It turns rubbery if you leave it and blocks seasoning. Slide a butter knife under it, grab it with a paper towel, and pull. Then coat both sides with a dry rub of salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, and whatever else you like.
Low, slow, and wrapped
- Set the oven to 275 degrees. Low heat is the whole point.
- Wrap the ribs tightly in foil to trap moisture, and set them on a sheet pan.
- Bake for two and a half to three hours, until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends.
Finish with a glaze
Unwrap the ribs, brush them with barbecue sauce, and run them under the broiler or crank the oven to 425 for a few minutes. Watch them closely, because the sugar in the sauce can burn in seconds. That last blast caramelizes the glaze into a sticky, charred surface. Let them rest a few minutes before cutting between the bones.