Cinnamon Pepper Rib Rub Recipe

The warmth of cinnamon mingles playfully with various types of heat provided by different peppers to create a spice rub perfect for grilling or barbecuing ribs.

I was able to escape from New York City for a bit during the midst of the pandemic to a place with outdoor space and, most importantly, a grill. Seeing as how I live in an apartment where my only outdoor space is my fire escape that I sometimes use as a “patio,” anytime I’m someplace with a grill I can’t help but make use of it. And this time that meant ribs—and a new recipe for y’all.

I had a discussion a while back with a friend that talked about how they swapped out cinnamon in all of their baking for other warming spices to see how things changed. My brain working the way it does, this somehow led me to think about adding cinnamon to savory dishes. It’s actually pretty common in certain parts of the world, such as the Middle East, so why not find a way to use it in something like barbecue?

Pork is a great canvas for taking on bold flavors, so a slab of ribs was an easy choice to experiment with. I made a spice rub originally that I loved, but I didn’t measure anything and it had more components that I think was actually necessary. So the next time around I pulled out my measuring spoons and pared down the spice list to a roster that made sense and was more manageable.

In the end, the warmth of the cinnamon provides a nice background to a trio of pepper—black, cayenne, and smoked paprika—that all add different layers of heat and spice. Add a little salt and some garlic powder for good measure and boom! You’ve got a delicious spice rub for all of your rib needs.

How long should the spice rub be on ribs before cooking?

If you have the time and forethought, then by all means season the ribs with the rub 24 hours before. But seeing as how I had none of that in either of my rib trials, covering them with the spice rub before you heat up the grill or your oven will do just fine.

How to cook ribs?

There are two methods to cooking ribs that I recommend: either grill/smoke them (the preferred method) or bake them in the oven (which is easier). Like I said before, I’m opting for a grill whenever I get the opportunity. I’m not a grilling expert by any means, but I do know that it’s always recommended to cook them low (225˚F) and slow (4 hours or so, depending on the size) for best results.

You want to place them meat-side up on the cool part of the grill for most of the cooking. This will help keep them from drying out and so that they don’t cook too quickly (aka burn). I cooked these at 300˚F for about an hour and a half. They definitely should have gone for a bit longer, but it was dinner time and I was hungry. (Do as I say, not as I do.) However, they were still decently tender with a good amount of bite and everyone loved them.

If you’re looking for more detailed grilling information from a trusted source, check out my blogging friend The Kitchenista. A decent amount of people also talk about the 3-2-1 method for cooking ribs on a grill, so you can read more about that here.

Should you boil ribs before grilling?

No. Absolutely not. I know some people recommend pre-cooking ribs by either baking, boiling, or putting them in a slow cooker, but it’s completely unnecessary. The problem with boiling ribs is that you lose some of the natural meat flavor to the water that you cook it in. It requires some careful monitoring of the temperature of your grill, but for the most flavor, I recommend cook ribs low and slow on the grill for the entire time.

Should ribs fall off the bone?

Feel free to disagree with me, but I think that ribs should still have a little bit of bite to them when they’re done cooking. Though there are certainly instances when I love super tender, fall-off-the-bone meats, I think the bone provides a good handle for eating the ribs and I don’t want to risk any precious meat falling onto the floor.

Do ribs get more tender the longer you cook them?

In general, yes. More time allows for the connective tissues to relax and convert from collagen to gelatin, which is what makes the ribs moist and tender. But if you cook ribs at too high a temperature, everything will seize up and not get to the point where you want it to be. If you’re interested in more of the science behind it, then take a look at this article on meat science.