How to Marinate Your Ribs for Maximum Flavor
How to marinate your ribs for maximum flavor. Tenderizing a juicy rack of ribs overnight
Co-authored by Chef Jeff Woodward
- Ingredients
- Soaking the Ribs in Marinade
- Marinade Recipes
- Expert Interview
- Expert Q&A
- Things You’ll Need
How to marinate your ribs for maximum flavor: A marinade is a wet mixture of herbs, oil, and acid used to flavor meat. This combination of ingredients, in turn, tenderizes the meat and makes it more flavorful. While there are hundreds of marinade recipes, spicy and sweet flavors, for instance, make for the best ribs. First, prepare the ribs by defrosting them, removing the membrane, and rinsing them. Then, you can whip up a steakhouse, Asian-inspired, or coffee-molasses marinade and cook the ribs. However, make sure you plan ahead— for the best results, you’ll want to marinate the ribs overnight.
Things You Should Know
- Defrost the ribs in the refrigerator for 2-4 days beforehand. Or, place them in a cold water bath for a few hours. Then, rinse the ribs under cool water.
- Trim away the membrane on the underside of the ribs. Then place the ribs in a large bowl and cover them with marinade. Place the bowl in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
- Make a classic marinade by mixing vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Ingredients
Barbecue Marinade
- 1 bottle of barbecue sauce
- 1 bottle of beer (optional)
- Honey (optional, to taste)
- Hot sauce (optional, to taste)
- Lime juice (optional, to taste)
- Garlic (optional, to taste)
Steakhouse Marinade
- 1 cup (0.2l) of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (118ml) of apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp. (35g) of packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. (15ml) of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. (15ml) of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. (9.3g) of garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. (1.2g) of onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. (3g) of kosher salt
Asian-Inspired Marinade
- 1 cup (0.2l) of honey
- 1/3 cup (79ml) of soy sauce
- 3 tbsp. (45ml) of sherry
- 2 tsp. (6.2g) of garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. (0.9g) of crushed red pepper
Coffee-Molasses Marinade
- 1 cup (0.2l) of strong coffee
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup (118ml) of molasses
- 1/2 cup (118ml) of red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (59ml) of Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. (15ml) of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup (59ml) of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. (15ml) of hot sauce
- 2 tbsp. (30g) of shallot
Cola Marinade
- 2 litres (8.5 c) of cola
- 2 tbsp. (30g) of chili powder
- 1 cup (200 ml) of water
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 c (118ml) of ketchup
- 2 tbsp (30g) of brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (30g) of Worcester sauce
- 2 tbsp (30g) of apple cider vinegar.
Instructions
Defrost the ribs completely in the fridge for 2-4 days.
Before marinating or cooking ribs, make sure they are completely defrosted. The safest and easiest way to defrost ribs is to put them in the refrigerator 2-4 days before you want to cook them.
Using this method, the ribs will take 1 day for every 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of meat to defrost.
Defrost ribs in a few hours using a cold water bath.
Fill a bowl or the sink with cold water. Submerge the ribs completely in the water in their original packaging or an airtight plastic bag. Add cold water as needed to keep the temperature around 40 °F (4 °C).
- Using this method, the ribs will take 30 minutes per 1 pound (0.45 kg) to defrost.
Rinse the defrosted ribs in cool water.
Unwrap the ribs and run them under cool water. This will get rid of any bone bits or debris left over from butchering.
Trim the membrane from the underside of the ribs.
The membrane is a paper-thin layer on the bone side of the ribs. Many times, your ribs will already be skinned of their membrane. If not, insert a butter knife between the bone and the membrane to create separation. It should come away easily, but use a sharper knife if it doesn’t. Then, use your hands to pull the membrane off of the bones.[3]
- Leaving membrane on the ribs will result in a tough, rubbery texture.
Rub the marinade into the ribs.
Rub the marinade into the meat using a basting brush, spatula, or your hands. Cover all of the meat on both sides with a thick layer.[4]
Put the ribs in a covered container and refrigerate them for 2-24 hours.
Allow at least 2 hours for the marinade to absorb into the meat, or up to 24 hours for the most flavor. Keep the ribs moist by adding more marinade about every 3 hours.
- Always marinate meat in the fridge and do not reuse leftover marinade.
Grill ribs for a smoky flavor or cook ribs in the oven for a tender texture.
Grill ribs over indirect heat for about an hour and finish over direct heat for 20 minutes until they are done. Or cook ribs at 275 °F (135 °C) for 2-2 ½ hours in the oven.
- When the meat starts to pull away from the ends of the bones, you can start testing to see if the ribs are done.
