Country-style Pork Ribs ribs are a great rich and fall-apart tender alternative to traditional ribs. Cheap, easy to make, and SO good, this might just be your new favorite way to eat pork.
One of the first really popular recipes on this site was my No-Fuss Easy Oven-Baked Ribs. The recipe’s designed to use beef back ribs, but since the post went live people have been asking about using it to make country-style pork ribs.
And asking.
And asking.
And asking.
And every single time, I would have to admit that I had no idea because I’d never eaten, let alone cooked, country-style ribs.
Whelp, I finally got sick of saying “I don’t know,” and feeling like I was missing out on something (because clearly, people love these things), so I tried them for myself, and now I am so angry.
Guys, I am so angry I haven’t been making these for years because country-style ribs ARE AMAZING. And this is coming from someone who is usually firmly Team Beef Ribs over pork.
These ribs are so tender and rich and easy to make. Two ingredients, ten minutes of hands-on prep time, and you end up with these absolutely beautiful ribs with meat you can shred with a fork.
And if you’re sitting there going sure, that sounds great, but WTF are country-style pork ribs? Read on, friend.
What Are Country-style Pork Ribs?
Country-style pork ribs aren’t ribs at all. They’re cuts of pork shoulder, which is the same meat you use to make pulled pork and carnitas. If you get bone-in “ribs,” you’ll recognize the distinctive y-shaped bone you get when you buy a bone-in pork shoulder roast.
This means that one, just like pork shoulder roasts, country-style ribs are super cheap, usually about $2/pound.
Two, they’re way meatier than regular pork or beef ribs (and don’t have all that gross cartilage), so you’re getting more meat for your buck.
And three, they have that wonderful marbling of fat which helps keep them moist during the long, slow cooking process on the way to tender, fall-apart ribs.
And speaking of long, slow cooking…
How to Cook Country Style Pork Ribs in the Oven
For fall-apart meat, country-style ribs really need to cook long and slow. Otherwise you’re going to get chewy pork.
The good news is that the cooking time is almost entirely hands-off. After a minimal amount of prep to get the ribs ready to cook, your oven’s doing most of the work here.
You start by salting and peppering your ribs and placing in a single layer in a roasting pan or baking dish. If you use a baking tray, make sure it has a fairly high rim, as the meat will release a lot of liquid as it cooks.
Cover with foil and bake at 300°F for 2 hours. Go read a book and sip some lemonade in front of a fan.
When your timer goes off, carefully uncover the meat–the steam will be hot–and drain the liquid from the tray. The meat looks super gross and sad at this point, but don’t worry. The next time it comes out of the oven, it will be beautiful.
Brush a generous coat of your favorite BBQ sauce over the meat.
Lower the temperature to 275°F and then bake uncovered for another hour. Your ribs are done when the meat has a beautifully baked-on coat of BBQ sauce and when you can pull it apart with a fork.
Brush with a little more sauce, give the ribs a couple minutes to rest, and then serve with some mashed potatoes or macaroni salad, and a simple veggie side like Garlic and Butter Green Beans or Oven-roasted Broccoli, and enjoy!
Country-Style Ribs Recipe Notes
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- If making for guests, I recommend making two ribs per person. That’s going to be a really generous serving, but you won’t have to worry about anyone going hungry. If making a lot of ribs, you can make two trays at a time. Just add 15 minutes to the initial cooking time and swap them halfway through both cooking periods so that they cook evenly.
- You can use bone-in or boneless country-style ribs for this recipe. Since they are covered for most of the cooking time, both come out equally moist and tender. My local stores sell them in mixed packs, so I usually cook with both at the same time.
- Be very careful removing the ribs from the oven the first time. Hot liquid can slosh out of the pan, and the steam will be very hot when you remove the foil.
- For brushing on BBQ sauce, I love these silicone basting brushes that can go through the dishwasher.
- Looking for more simple meaty mains? Try my Tri-tip in the Oven, Broiled Steak with Mustard Sauce, Carne Asada, and Quick Rosemary Pork Chops.
Easy Country-Style Pork Ribs in the Oven
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Foil
- Roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet
- Silicone basting brush optional
Country-style Ribs
- Country-style pork ribs*
- Salt and pepper
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Salt and pepper both sides of your ribs and place in a single layer in your pan, fattier side up.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours. Carefully (steam and liquid in the tray will be hot!) remove ribs from the oven and check the meat. They should be starting to become tender. If they still feel tough, re-cover them and place them back in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Transfer ribs to a plate and drain liquid from the pan. Return ribs to tray and brush with a generous coating of BBQ sauce.
- Turn oven down to 275°F and bake ribs, uncovered, for 1 hour more, or until you can pull the meat apart with a fork (if your ribs were small and already pretty tender when you put them back in the oven, start checking after 20 minutes). Brush with another coat of BBQ sauce, rest for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!
Sundra Hauck says
I made these for dinner toniight and they were.absolutely delicious.
Jose sanchez says
Simple delicioso, family love the way it turn up,
Amy says
I liked your recipe. I probably had the oven 25 degrees cooler. I started cooking too early. I did turn the oven up at the end to carmelize. I added some apple cider vinegar and chili powder to the bbq sauce and basted a 2nd time. Really good.
Tracy says
Thanks, Amy! I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Love the tip about cider vinegar and chili powder!
Melissa Jones says
This is the only way I make my ribs now. I use beef and they turn out great. Thanks!
Mary says
I just made this and it was a huge hit! Today’s pork has become very lean, so it is important to get well-marbled country-style spareribs to ensure that falling-off-the bones melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Thanks for such an easy recipe!
Tracy says
Yay! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed them, Mary!
Hiram says
HI there, good recipe. Let me share how I have been doing it for a number of years… I clean and trim as much of the large parts of fat from the ribs. Then I rub the ribs with lawry’s seasoning generously and also sprinkle with coarse black pepper on both sides. Then on a baking pan (with highsides) cover on foil and bake for 3 hrs at 350 F. After that time, uncover and DO NOT remove any of the juices. Turn all the pieces of meet over so the other half of the meet is submerged in the juices. Give another 15 min at the same temp and then turn them over again… After this additional 30 min you can pull the bones like butter. You can serve and pour some of the juice over it. They will be soft nice and moist. A real hit with guests… After serving and while the juice is hot, pour the juice in a separate container and let cool down. So keep the meat in one container and the juice in another. At the end of the dinner, place the juice in the fridge overnight. The next day you will find that all the fat has formed a hard thick layer at the top so you can easily removed with a spoon. We dont want all the fat (this way is healthier). I typically cook a large baking tray so over a couple of days later I can have leftovers and I can heat up the juice as I need it without the fat! It is a very simple way to cook pork country ribs… Very inexpensive and delicious…
Tracy says
Thanks for sharing!!
Aimee says
I am no stranger to “low and slow;” I prefer it when I have the time. But I had never made country-style ribs before, so when I looked up a recipe – and found yours – I was so surprised that it was going to take 3 hours! (And my ribs were frozen!)
I was able to thaw them and get them in the oven in time.
They were so tender and delicious! (I just wish I had a different BBQ sauce – but that’s my problem, not the recipe’s.)
Tracy says
So glad they worked out for you (and defrosted in time 😉 ), Aimee!!
Anthony Stanford says
For the people saying that their ribs were dry, you need to talk to the butcher where you bought them. Some places sell “country style ribs ” cut from pork loin instead of butt or shoulder. Loin is way leaner and can dry out in a recipe like this.
Tracy says
Thank you, Anthony, this is so helpful!
Ronald says
I don’t know other people did wrong. Mine turned out great. I usually boil, and grill them. Thought I would try this. Amazing! Do it this way from now on
Tracy says
Thanks, Ronald! So glad you enjoyed them!
Nikki says
They were sooooo delicious last time, I am making them this way again!! A layer of onion under the seasoned ribs, a few pads of butter this time, and broiling at end of second bake to caramelize this time thanks to everyone’s fantastic comments and suggestions!! Can’t wait for supper time to come now!!!
Tracy says
This sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing, Nikki. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!
Jean Beidl says
These were the best ribs I ever made!! Great recipe that I will use many times. Yum!
Tracy says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Gary says
Nice recipe, Ms. Mischief. But, nooooooooo, don’t cut that crispy fat cap off! It replicates a delicious pork belly effect! Because I also use this recipe for use in a Chinese bao meal with steamed buns, and use an Asian sauce schmear such as Hoisin, and then your pickled vegetables! Mmmm
If you’re out of bao buns, I just steam King’s Hawaiians. lol
Tracy says
LOL. You can definitely leave the fat cap on if you like it! Now I’m craving pork belly though, so thanks a lot. 😉
kevyn moody says
just made these and they are absolutely delicious!!! they are fork tender!!! the only change i made was cooking them at 285 degrees rather than the 300 degrees. thank you so much for this recipe.
Tracy says
Thrilled to hear it, Kevyn. Thanks for reporting back!
Lloyd Denny says
Just found this recipe. Trying them tonight. Thanks, Lloyd
Tracy says
Hope you enjoy them, Lloyd!!
Deb says
Thanks for the easy guidelines & info about the cut. Knowing the cut really helps to properly cook things. I rubbed some liquid smoke into mine before baking and they came out with that just-off-the-grill flavor.
Tracy says
Thanks, Deb! I love the idea of adding liquid smoke, I really need to try it!
Amy says
I like to sear these in a hot skillet with butter first, I also season them with garlic powder, onion powder, and cajun or greek seasoning, then pour a little water in the skillet to scrap up any brown bits stuck to the pan, sprinkle them with liquid smoke, cover with foil or an oven safe lid, then bake as you describe, then bake uncovered with bbq sauce. I don’t know if searing them makes a difference because I always have done it this way, but the long low temp baking does make them so tender.
Tracy says
That sounds delicious, Amy! Thanks for sharing!! (Also, I LOL’d at your email address. 😉 )