Southern · Barbecue · main

Memphis Dry-Rub Baby Back Ribs

Memphis Dry-Rub Baby Back Ribs reads umami 6.0, richness 6.0 and sourness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern · Barbecue main, about 3 hr 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 4.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.0 · Richness 6.0 · Sourness 4.7 · Sweetness 4.5 · Allium 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Smoke 3.6 · Heat 3.5 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Earthy 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Funk & Ferment 1.6 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 1.0 · Nutty 0.7 · Fruity 0.5

What's in it (14)

• pork baby back ribs — 2041 g
• yellow mustard — 30 g
• dark brown sugar — 50 g
• sweet paprika — 30 g
• salt — 15 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 15 g
• garlic — 10 g
• onion powder — 10 g
• cayenne pepper — 5 g
• mustard powder — 5 g
• celery seed — 5 g
• cumin — 3 g
• apple cider vinegar — 118 g
• smoke flavoring — 3 g

Time & effort: about 3 hr 23 min (3 hr 13 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 286.3 kcal, 15.1 g protein, 23.3 g fat, 4.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 275 F. Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet (or use two smaller sheets to fit both racks). Remove the thin membrane from the bone side of each rack of ribs — slide a butter knife under one corner, grip it with a paper towel, and pull it off in one piece — then pat the ribs dry.
2. Rub both racks all over with the yellow mustard, working it into a thin, tacky layer. This is a binder, not a flavor you'll taste.
3. Whisk the brown sugar, paprika, 1 tbsp salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, dry mustard powder, celery salt, and cumin in a small bowl.
4. Pack the rub generously over both sides of each rack, pressing it into the meat so it holds.
5. Set the ribs bone-side down on the rack, tent tightly with foil, and bake until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends and a paring knife slides into the thickest part with almost no resistance, about 2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, combine the apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke in a small spray bottle or bowl — the liquid smoke stands in for the pit, carrying Memphis dry-rub's signature smoky depth without an actual smoker.
7. Remove the foil, raise the oven temperature to 300 F, and spritz the ribs generously with the vinegar mixture. Bake uncovered, spritzing every 15 minutes, until the surface is deeply browned and tacky — a real bark, not wet — and a thermometer inserted into the thickest meat reads 195-200 F, 45-55 minutes.
8. Let the ribs rest, tented loosely with foil, 10 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat instead of pooling on the cutting board.
9. Slice between the bones and serve dry-rub style, with extra rub sprinkled over the top for more punch. No sauce required.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Barbecue Ribs — Southern
• Classic Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs — American · Barbecue
• Carolina Pulled Pork with Vinegar BBQ Sauce — Southern · Barbecue
• Smoky Dr Pepper Pulled Pork — American · Barbecue
• Kansas City Style BBQ Ribs — American · Barbecue

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.