Bar Favourites

Salt & Pepper Dry Ribs.

Dry ribs are the correct thing to order when the table can't agree. Nobody's excited about them on the menu and then they're the first empty basket. Low and slow first, screaming hot second.

Published July 12, 2026 · dry ribs · bar snack · salt and pepper · pork

The sheet
Serves3 to 4 as a snack
Active20 min
Total170 min
Oven300°F then 450°F

Ingredients

  • 1 rack pork side ribs, cut into individual riblets (ask your butcher to split the rack lengthwise)
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt
  • 2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

A squeeze of lemon at the table is the whole garnish program. Keep it that way.

01

Season and wrap

Toss the riblets with half the salt and the garlic powder. Wrap tightly in foil on a sheet pan — a sealed package, not a loose tent.

02

Go low and slow

300°F (150°C) for about 2 hours, until a rib bends easily but the meat still holds the bone. This is the tenderness stage; the crisp comes later.

03

Crisp them up

Unwrap, pat dry, toss with the oil. Crank the oven to 450°F (230°C) and roast 15–20 minutes, turning once, until the edges are browned and crackly. A cast iron pan works even better if you have one hot and ready.

04

Finish loud

Straight from the oven into a bowl with the remaining salt and all the cracked pepper. Toss like you mean it. Lemon wedges on the side, basket liner optional but spiritually encouraged.