From Fine Cooking Books

No offense to those chicken folks but here's the "finger lickin' good" meal. These ribs are mouth-happy perfection. The key is slow-roasting heat combined with moisture to create steam that melts away some of the fat and softens the meat. I like to start these in the oven, but if you prefer to do it entirely on the grill, I've provided that method too. No matter which way you start the ribs, finish them over direct heat to get a nice carmelization of the sauce.

Fred's Finest Baby Back Ribs

From Tyler Florence

Smoked Ribs with Dry Rub

From Food & Wine

F&W Senior Test Kitchen Associate Grace Parisi uses smoked paprika to sneak a just-barbecued flavor into these sticky, off-the-bone-tender ribs, which are one of the cheaper (and least meaty) cuts of pork.

Spice-Roasted Ribs with Apricot Glaze

From Campbell's

Smokin' Baby Back Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

Ketchup, strawberry preserves, vinegar, and jalapeno peppers team up to make a sweet-and-fiery basting sauce for ribs.

Strawberry-Jalapeno Barbecue Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

Stout is the centerpiece of the marinade for these succulent ribs, which will be a hit at your next summer cookout.

Stout-Glazed Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

Make a simple marinade to season these pork ribs then grill when you're ready.

Honey 'n' Orange Back Ribs

From Food & Wine

Naturally tart tamarind keeps the honey-based barbecue sauce from becoming too sweet for the luscious, slow-cooked ribs. Opt for dark, runny tamarind concentrate instead of tamarind pulp, which needs to be soaked and strained before using; it's available at Asian markets.

Honey-Tamarind Baby Back Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

These falling-off-the-bone tender ribs are rubbed with spices and roasted in the oven, then finished on the grill for a burst of smoky flavor.

Smokey Spice-Rubbed Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

This easy pork recipe uses just five main ingredients to create an intriguing, satisfying dish.

Spareribs Cantonese

From Better Homes and Gardens

The coating of yellow mustard--a technique borrowed from barbecue champions--makes the spice rub stay in place. Serve well-chilled coleslaw on the side.

Summer Breeze Ribs

From Food & Wine

These ribs are named after Spanish snacks known as pinchos. Jason McCullar rubs them with a smoked-paprika spice blend, then lacquers them with a sherry-spiked glaze. For an ideal cocktail snack, look for riblets, a half portion of baby back ribs; they're especially meaty. Or ask your butcher to split your rib racks crosswise.

Pincho Ribs with Sherry Glaze

From Food & Wine

The 1980s ushered in the era of the celebrity chef. Some big names, like John Sedlar, disappeared but are back now (his Rivera in Los Angeles opens soon); others never left, like Robert del Grande, who is reinventing Houston's Cafe Annie as Bar Annie with dishes like this Southwestern pork rib stew.

Pork and Chile Stew

From Better Homes and Gardens

Dry rubs are sensational on pork ribs, especially when the ribs are cooked slowly to soak up loads of smoky flavor.

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

Hickory salt and wood chips flavor these delicious pork ribs. They'll be a hit at your cookout!

Sugar-and-Spice Pork Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

Wine and bourbon make up a flavor-packed sauce for these grilled pork ribs.

Chuck Wagon Baby Back Ribs

From Better Homes and Gardens

The pineapple rum and molasses give these juicy baby backs a distinctive Caribbean touch--perfect for summer entertaining.

California Baby Back Ribs

From Food & Wine

The chef way: To create the flavorings for these ribs, Donald Link combines eight spices for a rub and prepares a barbecue sauce with homemade pork stock. The easy way: Cut back the number of spices in the rub to the five essentials, and use canned beef broth in the barbecue sauce.

Spicy and Sticky Baby Back Ribs

From Food & Wine

For almost four years, Fred Donnelly's red Mogridder's BBQ truck has animated a nondescript section of the Bronx, where it sits in front of his auto repair shop. (The Mogridder's special--an oil change and brake check plus a platter of slow-smoked ribs--does brisk business.) Last October, Donnelly finally opened a place to sit and eat. He makes these spectacularly sticky ribs at home. "Anyone you make them for falls in love with you," he says.

Mo's Sticky Ribs

From Smithfield

Meaty ribs cooked in a delicious sauce.

Buffet Ribs and Bacon

From National Pork Board

Saucy Chili-Orange Pork Back Ribs

From National Pork Board

Mediterranean Back Ribs with Pomegranate Sauce

From Food & Wine

These sticky, apple-scented ribs are cooked in the oven, then finished on the grill. They're a simpler version of a recipe by champion pit master Chris Lilly, author of the new Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book, who cooks his ribs entirely on the grill. To follow Lilly's example, use a thermometer to keep the temperature at a steady 250 degrees and wrap the ribs in foil after adding the apple cider mixture.

Apple-Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

From Betty Crocker

Try this pork recipe from Betty Crocker.

Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Barbecue Sauce

From Family Circle

These chutney-glazed ribs are oven-roasted in a bag to ensure tender and flavorful meat. This is a great recipe for beginners.

Sweet Glazed Ribs