Kick off summer with these dry-rubbed baby back pork ribs. The key to this recipe is a heady rub that does not skimp in the flavor department. It’s an evolution of a dry spice rub I was inspired by years ago at the now-closed East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The chef, Chris Schlesinger, devised this mouth-tingling blend for his baby back pork ribs, which packed a whammy of flavor and officially kick-started my passion for barbecue ribs.
The key to the rub is heaps of salt and sugar along with an abundance of dried spice that leaves enough wiggle room to tinker with flavor. The sugar and salt ensure crispy, succulent ribs that are wildly crave-worthy, and the flavors tip to the Southwest with the addition of cumin, paprika, and cayenne. In the restaurant, a sauce was always served on the side, but it’s the rub that stands out in my memory, since I prefer my ribs crispy and not overly sauced. Since then and over the years, I’ve replicated this rub in various iterations. The common denominator is to never skimp on the sugar and salt: If you think it’s too much, it is not….