Oven BBQ'd Ribs


Would. you. look. at. those. ribs.  I did it with my Easy Bake oven!   Can you believe it?  They seriously came out looking like something from one of my favorite BBQ joints.  Perhaps that is not amazing to you, but back in the first year of my marriage, I attempted pork ribs at home and they did NOT look like this.  My poor husband.  They were truly awful.  I could barely boil water when we said "for life, so help me God," and my good man endured his fair share of mediocre and just bad meals over our first months together.  But what I lacked in skill I made up for in enthusiasm, and I continued to cook every night, following recipes to the letter until I got the hang of it and then began tweaking and experimenting.  We rarely eat out--maybe a handful of times a year--so I've spent a lot of time learning my way around the kitchen.  Though you'd never mistake me for a chef, I think my hubby would agree the practice has yielded vast improvement. Still, it's taken me 5 years to even consider attempting ribs again. And this fall-off-the-bone-totally-delicious result?  Felt like winning.  Felt like "most improved player."   

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you think you can't cook...just keep at it. :)

One of the mistakes I made with my first go at ribs was failing to remove the membrane.  This time I did my research.  REMOVE THE MEMBRANE.  There are some great YouTube videos and websites that can show you how; I read this.  After reading through the comments here and this post I made some decisions about how to cook my ribs, and off I went, with the coolest ingredient EVER in hand.

In addition to liquid smoke, you'll also need a seasoning rub (and a free afternoon).  I used Penzeys Northwoods Seasoning and it was excellent, but you could make your own or use another premixed rub.  I'd look for paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper to play a prominent role.  



Oven BBQ'd Pork Ribs

1 rack pork short ribs, skirt and membrane removed
seasoning rub of choice


For BBQ sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1 T. honey
1 tsp. seasoning rub of choice

  1. Preheat broiler.  
  2. Rub ribs generously on both sides with seasoning.  I used maybe 2-3 tsp. of my Northwoods mix.
  3. Place ribs on large baking sheet with lip, and sear the tops of the ribs under the broiler until they start to brown, about 2-3 minutes.  
  4. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F and continue to cook ribs for about 3 hours, until fork tender.  The meat will start to pull away from the bone.  
  5. Prepare the BBQ sauce by bringing all the ingredients to a low boil together in a small saucepan.  It will be runny, but will reduce later while baking on the ribs.
  6. After the 3 hours, remove the ribs from the oven and pour the BBQ sauce over the top, turning the ribs gently to coat them.  Return the pan to the oven and cook for an additional 35-45 minutes.** Check the ribs frequently to make sure the sauce is not burning.  Some blackening around the edges is ok.  
  7. Serve ribs with your favorite BBQ fare--cornbread, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice, etc.  
**If you're cooking more than 3 lbs. of ribs/more than one rack, you may find you need additional cooking time.  I'd follow the steps outlined here, of adding water or wine to the pan and covering it all with with foil, to get the ribs properly tender before coating with the sauce.  


Comments

I have never even considered making ribs, but you've inspired me! I may just have to try these... they look amazing!

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