How Much Are Your Ribs?

Have a hankering for some ribs? What is someone to do when you don’t have access to the great BBQ joints in the south? Make the easiest at home ribs of course!  

There is nothing better than pulling into the parking lot of a BBQ Smoke House, the smoke billowing out of the back smokers.  The smell of hickory in the air, and of course the smell of smoked pork and beef.  We learned a lot about the rules and practices of finding a good BBQ Smoke House when we lived in Atlanta.  The rules don’t necessarily apply to the rest of the world but in Atlanta and most of the southern states if you are looking for a good bbq restaurant the number one rule and thing to look for when you pull up to the restaurant is there must be a pig on the sign or the outside of the restaurant!  A pink pig is an amazing omen that you may just have the best out of body bbq experience that you’ve ever had, no pig you might as well keep driving. This was taught to us by our good friends and it was some of the best advise they had ever given to us.  

Now that we are back in Ontario, Canada, when we are craving that bbq experience it’s not easy to find.  We do venture to an amazing Alabama style BBQ smoke house in Paris Ontario “Camp 31” but it is a bit of a drive from where we live and sometimes we are not always willing to do the journey, and during this whole lockdown experience we couldn’t if we wanted to….plus it’s a long way to drive to take out food.  So, I’m stuck with a couple of options when I’m itching for some amazing BBQ ribs.  I can load up the smoker and take the whole day to smoke some amazing ribs – which isn’t the best option right now as it was snowing this past weekend and smoking meat at home is only fun when the suns out. You can have some cool beverages as you lounge in the backyard watching over the smoker temperatures and absorb some natural vitamin D while getting a tan or in my case a billion more freckles.  So, what’s a home cook to do? Resort to my chef widow easy peasy make the best no hassle ribs, that’s what we can do!  (Jeez I just re-read that line and it sounds like an infomercial, it was so bad, yet so funny I had to leave it in)! 

This is an amazing recipe that you can utilize anytime, in any situation, but in these crazy times when we are working, and home schooling our kids its perfect because it’s quick and hassle free.  The added bonus of these ribs - no bbq access - no problem - they are just as amazing finished in the oven! 

My favourite ribs are pork baby backs, but you can use pork side ribs as well.  It takes a few ingredients to make yummy ribs. Yes, I know that there are experts out there using rubs that have 20 spices in them, and complicate the process, I’m looking to make the easiest, tastiest, hassle free ribs and actually probably the best home cooked ribs you have tasted! 

The recipe is; 

Rack of ribs

Salt and pepper

(Yup thats it unless you want a bit more zing - You can sprinkle on your fav spice mix – but it’s not necessary they are tasty with just salt & pepper – I always have Keg seasoning in my pantry so I will put that on sometimes.)

Bbq sauce (you can make your own or buy your favourite)

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. 

Pull a large strip of tin foil at least the length of the ribs plus an extra couple of inches.  Lie the rack of ribs on the foil.  Salt and pepper the meat side and the bone side generously.  Take the sides of the foil and bring them together making a tent shape, then fold them together.  Once you have folded it tight to the ribs, move to the end of the foil and tightly roll and fold the ends to meet the ribs.  Do this on both ends.  Creating an air tight package for your ribs to cook in.  Place on a cookie sheet/sheet pan in a 325 degree oven for approximately 3 hours (depending on their size – you are looking for meat that is tender and falling off the bone). 

After 3 hours have a peak inside, open carefully and test if the meat is tender, if not tightly wrap it up again and put it back in the oven for more time.  Once you have gotten the ribs to a happy tender place, remove from the foil, (be careful a lot of fat and water will be at the bottom of the foil, you don’t want to wear it or burn yourself, so carefully unwrap and remove the ribs).  Sauce them with your favourite sauce and put them on the bbq to caramelize the sauce and make it over the top delicious.  Side note, you can always do this saucing part in your oven as well, if you don't want to bbq or have no access to a bbq.  If you are using a bbq remember sauce the top and put bone side down first and then turn over onto the meat side and sauce up the bone side.  Don’t keep them on too long as the sauce will burn quickly because of all the sugar goodness in it.  Once you have them all sauced it’s time to enjoy!  

For my rib meal this weekend I had some sausages in the fridge so threw those on the bbq last minute as well and, also did one of my favourite sides…bbq corn on the cob.  (a little olive oil, salt and pepper, mix it around and throw it on the bbq)!  

This meal literally takes less than a half hour of your time to prepare and finalize the cooking.  It is only the time to wrap the ribs and put them in the oven, and then bbq them as well as bbq the corn which both takes minutes.  So simple and you have an amazing meal with very little effort or time.  Everyone will think you slaved over the meal for hours! 

Note - These ribs are the fall off the bone type of ribs, the foil package is the key to the process, you want to make sure that you tightly wrapped the edges so no steam can escape.

I hope you try them at home, it’s super easy!  Bon Appetit! Now go mangia!!!!