Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Rub all surfaces evenly with cooking oil, then coat generously on all sides with Kinder's Black Cherry Chipotle Rub, pressing it into the meat so it adheres.
- Place ribs in a single layer in a baking dish or roasting pan. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Cook covered for 1 hour at 275 degrees F.
- Uncover the ribs and continue cooking for 2-3 more hours, until the meat is pulling away from the bone and tender enough to pierce easily with a fork. The total cook time will be 3-4 hours depending on the size of your ribs.
- Rest the ribs uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. The rub will have formed a beautiful bark on the surface.
- Smoker alternative: Follow the same timing and temperatures on a smoker -- 275 degrees F for 3-4 hours total -- for an even deeper smoke flavor.
Nutrition
Notes
- Dry the surface completely — Moisture dilutes the rub and slows bark formation. Pat the ribs completely dry with paper towels before you oil and season them. Damp meat steams instead of crusting.
- Cover first, then uncover — The first hour covered traps steam and begins breaking down the collagen. The final 2–3 hours uncovered is where the bark builds. Both phases matter — don't skip either.
- Don't push the temperature — 275°F is the number. Hot enough to break down connective tissue without tightening the proteins and drying out the meat. Don't crank to 325°F to save time.
- Cherry wood on the smoker — Running these on a smoker? Cherry wood or hickory pairs directly with the Kinder's Black Cherry Chipotle Rub's flavor profile. Same 275°F, same 3–4 hour timing.
- Cook ahead — These ribs are better the next day. Cook fully, refrigerate, and reheat covered at 300°F for 20–25 minutes. The bark softens slightly but the flavor deepens overnight.
- The pan drippings are your sauce. Spoon them over creamy mashed potatoes or polenta — the fat and rendered collagen carry all the flavor the dish needs without extra work.
- For contrast, roasted root vegetables or charred corn on the cob work well. The sweet-smoky rub plays against anything with char or earth.
- For a crowd, pull the ribs off the bone and pile them onto toasted brioche buns with coleslaw or a swipe of extra Kinder's Black Cherry Chipotle Rub. That's a sandwich worth the cook time.
- Refrigerate leftover ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The bark softens in the fridge but the flavor improves — the rub and drippings work deeper into the meat overnight.
- Reheat covered with foil at 300°F for 20–25 minutes. Skip the microwave — it tightens the meat and kills the texture.
- Freeze cooked ribs tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.