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One of my favorite things to eat when I was a kid what is my dad’s grilled BBQ ribs. Whenever we were having them for dinner, my dad would man the grill while my mom and I made a kale dish to complete the table, and brownies for dessert.
When I moved out, a lot changed for me. For one, I was the main cook now for my husband, my baby, and I. I quickly began to miss the comforts of my childhood home like my dad making these ribs for me, so I decided to try to make them by myself for the first time
The only problem was that I didn’t have a grill, so I had to adapt the recipe to be an oven- baked version. This recipe would also come in handy if you don’t like the charred bits or grill marks on the grilled version of ribs, you have small children that you know will end up burning themselves, or you are putting some older kids in charge of making dinner and you don’t want them messing around with the grill.
It was my first time making one of my favorite foods, so the pressure was really on. I was so sure I was going to mess up, but when I cut and served the oven baked ribs I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was so tender and juicy. It was practically falling off the bone just like when my dad used to make it.
Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F, and mixing together salt, paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl to make a rub for the ribs.
Rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs.
Wrap the seasoned ribs in foil, and put it on a cookie sheet (meaty side down) before placing it in the oven. Bake for approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours (depending on the size of the ribs you are using).
Remove the ribs from oven and drain any grease from dish; reserving the foil for later use. Slather the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce and return the dish to the oven (un-covered) for an additional 30 minutes.
Once done, remove the ribs to a platter, loosely tent the platter with the reserved foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. This step is important — the resting period gives the ribs time to re-distribute their juices, just like a steak would.
Transfer to a cutting board and cut between ribs to separate. You will probably need to be careful with this step since the ribs should be falling apart already.
Transfer to a platter and serve with additional BBQ sauce.
The Best Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 pounds baby back pork ribs (8 racks) or St. Louis-style spare ribs (4 racks)
- 1 1/2 cups store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce plus more
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 300* F.
Mix together the salt, paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture onto both sides of ribs.
Wrap the seasoned ribs in foil, and put it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven.
If using Baby Back slabs, place bone side facing up. If using individual Country Style (St. Louis), lay on their side.
Bake for approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours (depending on the size of the ribs you are using).
Remove the ribs from oven and drain any grease from dish; reserving the foil for later use. Slather the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce and return the dish to the oven (un-covered) for an additional 30 minutes.
Once done, remove the ribs to a platter, loosely tent the platter with the reserved foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and cut between ribs to separate. Transfer to a platter and serve with additional BBQ sauce.
What’s your favorite childhood comfort food?