Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (160°C/325°F fan-forced) (important, make sure the oven preheated for at least 20 minutes, as this recipe needs a hot oven!). Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Remove the thin membrane from the back if not already done (see note 1).

Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the ribs with the olive oil, then rub the spice mix evenly over both sides.

Wrap each rack separately. To do this, place a rack of ribs, fleshy-side down, on a large sheet of baking (parchment) paper and wrap to enclose. Tear a sheet of foil that’s twice the length of the ribs. Place the baking paper-wrapped ribs on one half of the foil, then fold the other half over to cover. Fold and crimp the edges tightly to form a sealed parcel. This locks in the steam and keeps the ribs juicy. (Watch the video for a step-by-step guide.)

Place the two wrapped racks on a baking tray with sides (just in case any juices escape). Cook for 2 hours or until the meat can easily be shredded with two forks, it should come off the bone easily. If not, continue cooking, covered, in 30-minute intervals until tender.

While the ribs cook, add all the sauce ingredients, except the butter, to a medium saucepan off the heat (important – make sure it’s a cold saucepan, as the sauce needs to be warmed gradually. This will stop it spitting or catching on the base of the pan). Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring often. (Stirring is important because it stops the sauce catching on the bottom of the pan and also keeps it from bubbling over.) Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and looks glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and silky.

Remove the ribs from the oven. Carefully open each parcel by removing the top layer of foil and peeling away the baking paper, leaving the ribs sitting in the bottom layer of foil on the tray in the juices (this keeps them extra juicy and saves cleaning another tray!). Brush the ribs generously with the BBQ sauce – a light coat on the underside, a full coat on top. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F) (200°C/400°F fan-forced) and bake, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes, or until sticky and caramelised, basting once more halfway through, on the meat side only.

Rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve with extra sauce. Serve coleslaw on the side, if desired.