Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs

Take low and slow to the next level with the Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs. The meat is so juicy and tender that you will never want to break out the barbecue again.

The key to getting perfect ribs is to get those strong connective tissues completely broken down without drying out the meat. The beauty of sous vide cooking is the low, low temperatures that can be used to cook difficult cuts of meat. Instead of using heat to turn those tough connective tissues into gelatin; we are using time. 

This can be done with smokers or even indirect heat on the barbecue, but that takes a lot of patience and maintenance to accomplish. When you use a precision cooker, you can just set it and forget it. You come back to the meat when it is done.

Sous Vide cooking can deliver fall off the bone ribs without a lot of shrinkage or turning your ribs into shredded pork.

Time and Temperature

How long should you could Baby Back Ribs?

The great thing about this method, is that you have a lot of choice and control over the final product. 

I like to have my ribs really tender, but still have a plump extra-meaty texture. I choose a low temperature over a long period of time. 145° F for 24-30 Hours.

Time and Temperature Chart

Texture	Temperature	Time
Extra-Meaty	145° F	24-30 Hours
Traditional Barbecue	165° F	10-12 Hours
Fall-Apart	185° F	4-6 Hours

The ribs can be done in a shorter time period, but the moisture level and meat texture are greatly changed. At 165°, you will need about 10-12 hours and the ribs will be more like a traditional barbecued rib where they are a little closer to actually falling apart. The moisture level is a lot less at this temp as well.

Finally you can opt for a really short Sous Vide period of just 4-6 hours at 185°. The meat will definitely fall apart at this temperature and lack moisture. 

Ingredients

How to Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs

Step 1

• Pat the rack of ribs dry with a paper towel. 
• Carefully, remove the silverskin from the back of the ribs. This is strong connective tissue that is hard to break down and not desirable to eat.

The silverskin on the back of the ribs can often just be pulled off. Make a small cut in that tissue, then hold onto it with a paper towel to help you get a good grip on it. Then, pull it off the rack.

Step 2

• Cut the rack into half to have nearly even pieces. 
• Next place your ribs in a vacuum bag and seal. You can use the water displacement method as well.
• Set up your water bath and warm with the precision cooker and place sealed meat inside.
• Allow to cook for the desired time.

Step 3

• Set up your water bath and warm with the precision cooker and place sealed meat inside.
• Allow to cook for the desired time.

When cooking Sous Vide for a long period of time, be sure to place a piece of foil or plastic wrap over the top of the container to prevent evaporation.

Step 4

• Remove the meat from the plastic bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Season with your favorite barbecue spice rub and use either the grill or broiler method to brown and sauce the ribs. (see below)
• Cut the slabs into individual pieces by slicing through the meat between the bones. 
• Serve with your favorite barbecue sides and picnic salads.

Grill Method

Preheat a grill or grill pan and brush crates with canola oil.

Season the cooked ribs. Then, place the top side down for 2-3 minutes on the hot grill and allow grill marks to develop. Turn 45 degrees on the same side and let brown some more to create a crosshatch pattern.

Next, turn the ribs over and brown the second side. This is a good time to brush on some sauce so that it gets warm.

Remove from the grill, cut, and serve.

Broiler Method

Preheat the oven to low broil and set the rack around 6- 8 inches from the top.

Season the cooked ribs and brush on your favorite barbecue sauce. 

Place the ribs on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.

Once the sauce starts to bubble, pull the pan out and brush again with barbecue sauce and return to the oven once more. Leave under the broiler for an additional 3 minutes until the sauce is sticky and well adhered to the racks of ribs.

Remove from the oven, cut, and serve.

Step 5

• Cut the slabs into individual pieces by slicing through the meat between the bones. 
• Serve with your favorite barbecue sides and picnic salads.

Notice that the grilled slab on the left is well browned, but the sauce is less sticky. The broiled ribs on the right have sticky sauce that has bubbled up and will hold onto the ribs better.

Related Recipes

• Sous Vide Rack of Lamb
• Sous Vide Corned Beef
• Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin in Pineapple Glaze
• Budget Sous Vide Recipes
• Easy Apricot Barbecue Sauce

Stay in the Know! Follow Delicious by Design on Facebook for new recipes and cooking tips! Love this recipe? Leave a 5 Star Review!

📖 Recipe

Never miss a new recipe from Delicious by Design! Sign-up below for weekly recipes directly in your inbox.