Country-Style Pork Ribs

By Kris Longwell - - Updated

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This dish is quintessential soul food. So delicious, fall-off-the-bone tender, and the ultimate in comfort food.

Talk about the perfect Sunday dinner meal. The preparation is simple, you just need a few hours to allow the “ribs” to slow-cook in your oven. The perfect sides for this incredible feast are our Skillet Okra with Garlic and Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese. Be sure to ask your butcher, or look in the meat department for “country-style” ribs, not spare ribs, or baby back ribs! More on that in a bit.

A white platter with a stack of country-style pork ribs next to two glasses of iced tea.

How To Cook Country-Style Pork Ribs

As mentioned, preparing this dish is not terribly involved.

You just need a few hours to allow the “ribs” to slow-cook in the oven.

And that sauce, oh, the sauce!

 

What Are Country-Style Pork Ribs?

This is an important question. First, this cut is not from the rib section of the pig, it’s actually from the shoulder.

You can find them in the meat department of most well-stocked supermarkets. We always head to our favorite butcher when we’re in the mood for them. They usually cut them for you on the premises.

EXPERT TIP: You can get boneless country-style ribs or bone-in. We always recommend getting them with the bone. The bone imparts an even deeper flavor. If you do go with boneless, they will still be delicious, but they’ll only need about 90 minutes in the oven. Salt and pepper are all that’s needed to season. A mix of apple cider vinegar and water in the pan helps to make the ribs extra tender. Cover with foil to create steam that will cook them perfectly.

3 images, 1st a hand salting pork ribs in a pan, next liquid being poured in, and the last foil being placed over the pan.

After the ribs have slow-cooked in a 300°F oven for 2 hours, it’s time to amp up the flavor with an amazing sauce.

This sauce is more than just a BBQ sauce, but a good BBQ sauce is part of it.

The sauce is similar to North Carolina-style BBQ, which is vinegar-based.

A silver saucepan filled with a BBQ sauce with a wooden spoon in it.

The Ingredients You Will Need

Here’s what you will need to make this simple, but deeply flavorful sauce:

  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Dark Corn Syrup
  • Molasses
  • Green Bell Pepper (Chopped)
  • Onion (Chopped)

Make sure you use a quality BBQ sauce. Our recipe is simple to prepare and has amazing taste!

After carefully removing the foil (be careful, there will be escaping hot steam!), simply pour the simmered sauce all over the ribs. And then back in the oven they go (uncovered) for 1 more hour!

A pan of BBQ sauce being poured over cooked country-style ribs in a large roasting pan.

The smell in your kitchen during this final hour of roasting is truly something to behold.

The ribs will slowly simmer in the incredible sauce, and become even more tender as they braise.

EXPERT TIP: The ribs we are using here are large, each slightly over 1 lb (including the bone). One of these ribs will easily make a single serving. If you are using smaller ribs, or boneless ribs, typically two ribs per person is ideal.

A large roasting pan filled with country-style pork ribs with sauce in the pan.

When To Serve Country Pork Ribs

As mentioned, this makes the perfect Sunday dinner.

But, they are also easily reheated in the oven and served on a busy weeknight. Just wrap in foil and place in a 300°F for about 30 minutes. Warm the sauce on the stove.

They are also perfectly matched with a nice serving of buttery mashed potatoes!

A white plate filled with a serving of mashed potatoes with a country-style ribs and sauce on top of it.

And did we mention how tender these ribs are?

Just amazing.

After removing the ribs from the roasting pan, simply pour the sauce from the pan into a gravy boat and pass at the table. Incredible!

A fork and knife being used to cut into a tender country-style pork rib on a plate.

Ready to make the best “ribs” in the country? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

A white platter with a stack of country-style pork ribs next to two glasses of iced tea.

Country-Style Pork Ribs

Country-Style Pork Ribs are really not ribs, but wow, are they amazingly delicious. Be sure to seek out country-style pork ribs, and don't use spare ribs or baby back ribs. This recipe delivers incredibly tender pork with a tangy and slightly sweet sauce that is off-the-charts delicious.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American Southern
Keyword: country pork ribs, country style pork ribs in oven, how to cook country-style pork ribs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 935kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Equipment

  • Large roasting pan.

Ingredients

  • 8 lbs country-style pork ribs bone-in
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1¼ cup water
  • 1½ cup apple cider vinegar

For the Sauce

  • 1¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • ¼ cup dark corn syrup
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ⅓ cup green bell pepper chopped
  • ⅓ cup onion chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the ribs and place them in a large roasting pan. Add the water and apple cider vinegar and then cover with foil. Place in the oven for 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, heat the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.
  • Remove the pan from the oven. Very carefully remove the foil (watch out for hot steam escaping!). Use a spatula to carefully remove the ribs from the pan onto a platter. Discard the liquid in the pan. Return the ribs to the pan and then pour the sauce all over the ribs and place back in the oven (still at 300°F), uncovered, for another hour.
  • Remove from the oven. Carefully transfer the ribs to a platter. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat. Serve at once, passing gravy at the table.

Video

Notes

Be sure to seek out country-style pork ribs!  You can usually find them in the meat department of most well-stock supermarkets, or at your local butcher.  Spare ribs or baby back ribs will not yield the same fork-tender results with this recipe.
Boneless country-style ribs are perfectly fine.  Reduce the cooking time to 90 minutes for the initial roasting.
You can eyeball the water/vinegar mixture that goes into the roasting pan.  You want the liquid to go up to about a ½-inch in the pan and against the ribs. 
The cooked "ribs" can be reheated in a 300°F oven wrapped in foil for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through.  Warm the sauce in a small saucepan on the stove. 

Nutrition

Calories: 935kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 77g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 291mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 1680mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

13 Comments

    • Hi Louis! Woo hoo!! We are so thrilled to hear that you are loving these country-style ribs. They are the bomb, right? They are so messy and so delicious! They’ve been a favorite in our house for years and we are so happy you are loving them, too. And thank you so much for letting us know and for the great review. That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply

  • I cook these ribs twice they are delicious fall off the bone use my own barbecue sauce that I like. Doing them again for dinner tonight can’t wait.

    Reply

  • Your recipe sounds delicious! You recommend purchasing an 8 lb shoulder roast but you’re only making 4 1-lb steaks. What should I do with the remaining meat?

    Reply

    • Hi Noreen! Thanks!! They really are delicious. So, the bone-in country-style ribs that we got from our butcher we quite large. About a pound and a quarter each. For purposes of the video, we only cooked 4 of them. It just depends on how large your cuts of meat are, if they are boneless or bone-in, and how many folks you are serving. If you’re going with boneless, you could most likely serve 2 ribs per person, and obviously, the weight will be less, since they are boneless. The process of preparing the ribs are exactly the same, except, if you’re going with boneless, cut the initial cook time from 2 hours to 90 minutes. We hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask! And do let us know if you make the ‘ribs’ and what you think!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply

      • Thanks, Kris, for responding so quickly :). Now, I have a better idea of what size shoulder to purchase and how large the steaks should be. I love your show!

  • Hi Kris. I’m really looking forward to trying these ribs! But I’d like your opinion: I really dislike cooked peppers (gasp!), and don’t like green bell peppers, period. What do you think about a few larger pieces of pepper that then get binked out of the sauce, or omitting altogether? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Rhonda!! So so sorry for the delayed response! Just omit them!! It’s all about the sauce, and they add a little texture, but the real flavor comes from the other ingredients. Hope this helps and let us know if you make the ribs and what you think!! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply

  • Even though you address the apple cider vinegar/water in the comments at the end, unless I misunderstand, shouldn’t it also be mentioned in the instructions to add them to the ribs when baking the first 2 hours?

    Reply

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