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Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs

These St. Louis-style pork spare ribs are coated in a bold blend of kosher salt, black and white pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, white vinegar, and Dijon mustard. The result is tender, tasty ribs with a deeply peppery flavor, gentle heat, and a tangy mustard finish, well suited to a relaxed barbecue or hearty dinner.

  • Prep10 mins
  • Cook3 hrs
  • Serves8
  • DifficultyEasy
Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

41 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
63 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
4 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
51 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

2
Heart Health
71
Metabolic
13
Digestive
20
Inflammatory
43
Performance
34
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Mix salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Set spice rub aside.

  2. 2

    Stir vinegar and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.

  3. 3

    Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn the ribs over so that the meat side is down. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to make some very shallow slashes every few inches through the membrane that covers the ribs. Poke the knife 3 or 4 times between each rib bone, about 1/4 inch deep.

  4. 4

    Brush the Dijon mustard mixture over the top. Sprinkle with some of the spice rub. Turn the rack over and brush with the remaining mustard and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining rub, reserving some in case you want to use it to season the cooked ribs later.

  5. 5

    Refrigerate the ribs, uncovered, 4 to 12 hours before baking.

  6. 6

    Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Remove the ribs from the refrigerator.

  7. 7

    Cook in the center of the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan drippings. Continue to cook until very tender and the tip of a knife slides in very easily, about 1 1/2 hours more.

  8. 8

    Remove from the oven, baste again, and let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

About This Recipe

Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs is made with 8 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 3 hrs 10 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Dijon Mustard, and Garlic Powder. Each serving provides about 677.85 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs made of?
The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Dijon Mustard, Garlic Powder, Salt. The full list of 8 is above.
How long does it take to make Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs?
About 3 hrs 10 mins in total: 10 mins to prepare and 3 hrs to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 677.85 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 8 ingredients and 8 steps.
Is Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs healthy?
Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs has an easyChef Pro health score of 41/100. Per serving, it provides 677.85 calories and 45.07 g of protein, or 90% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 772.07 mg (34% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 22.32 g (112% of the Daily Value). It contains Mustard and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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