We don’t understand why pork ribs are too often confined to summer barbecues, outdoor festivals, and dinner at a rib joint. At $15 to $20 a restaurant rack, maybe it’s the cost. But at half the per-pound price of rib eyes, filets, and strip steaks, cost can’t be the whole story. We think ribs are just another casualty of barbecue hype and mystique, a victim of their own popularity. The result is that lots of folks are reluctant to make them at home. Can they be any good if they’re not from a “real pit barbecue” restaurant, a competition team with matching shirts and dancing pig logo, or the crazy guy down the street with six grills and a smoker on wheels? Truth is, we should all be making ribs and having them with champagne, another enjoyment unfortunately confined to special occasions. If you’re a reluctant ribber, or still recovering from disappointing attempts, the cheater oven method will lead you to really great “fall-off-the-bone” spare-and baby back ribs with consistent results and minimal hassle. No lie.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
HEAT eat the oven to 325°F.
Step 2
MIX the dry rub with the brown sugar in a small bowl.
Step 3
PLACE each baby back rack on a large (24 to 30 inches long) sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Brush each rack with a light coating of bottled smoke. Spread the sweet rub over both sides of each rack. Seal the racks in the foil. (If time allows, refrigerate them for a few hours or overnight.)
Step 4
PLACE the sealed racks on a couple of baking sheets and put them in the oven. While the ribs are cooking, make some barbecue sauce and set it aside.
Step 5
After 1 1/2 hours, Pull out the ribs and carefully unseal the foil. The escaping steam will be hot. Cut into a rib or two and check the meat for doneness and tenderness. If you prefer more tender meat that pulls away from the bone with less resistance, reseal the foil and put the ribs back in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 6
When the ribs are done to your liking, Take them out of the oven to serve or to sauce. If saucing, turn on the oven broiler. Unseal the foil, pour off the meat juice, and discard it. Brush some of the sauce onto the ribs. Broil the ribs about 4 inches from the heat source for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully while the sauce caramelizes and do not allow it to burn.
Step 7
LAY the ribs on a cutting board and separate them into sections of 1 to 4 ribs. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
