Maple Black Pepper Oven Spareribs

It's 80 degrees in northern Indiana today. The sky is blue, the trees are budding, and our daughter is happily smeared from head to toe in the mud she's dug out of the backyard. To kick off spring, I whipped up these Maple Black Pepper Oven Spareribs. These spareribs are easy to make, don't require a smoker or any complicated equipment, and are absolutely delicious! These ribs forgo the traditional tomato-based sauce, and bring to center stage the fresh maple syrup Rebecca was given a few weeks ago from a local Amish farmer. Celebrate the changing of the seasons with Maple Black Pepper Oven Spareribs. 

Yield: Serves 2 as a main

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds pork spareribs
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 3/4 tablespoon black pepper
• 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 drops liquid smoke

Steps:

1. If your ribs are too large to fit easily into a large zip-top bag, cut the rib rack in half. Put the ribs into the zip-top bag.
2. Add to the bag the rib marinade ingredients (maple syrup, vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, oil, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and liquid smoke) and shake to combine. Seal the bag tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). 
3. Heat your oven to 225 degrees. 
4. Place the meat bone-side down on a sheet pan. Dump any extra marinade over the ribs. This will provide a nice crust as it roasts. Roast at 225 for 4-5 hours. No flipping, turning, or basting is required.
5. After 4 hours, check the ribs for doneness. The meat should have pulled back from bones, most of the fat rendered off, and should be tender (almost falling of the bone). Remove the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest for 15 minutes to allow the meat to finish cooking and the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
6. Serve the ribs as soon as they have finished their 15 minute rest. We like ours as-is, but you can also dip yours in your favorite barbecue sauce.