Good barbecue doesn’t always require a smoker or a grill. With only a good, heavy duty baking sheet you can make fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs in your oven. No one will be able to tell that these weren’t done on the grill and you have only 1 pan to worry about for clean up.
Some recipes call for boiling ribs. Don’t! I can’t repeat that enough, don’t ever do that. This recipe calls for oven baking at a low temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The meat is covered and the slow cooking helps to ensure supreme tenderness.
Let’s talk about barbecue. The word is a complex one, it can refer to a gathering, the way the meat is cooked or a different type of cooking. All three descriptions are correct. Don’t let true believers belittle how you choose to use the word or cook. Instead, enjoy the savory flavors a good roasted meal can offer.
Ingredients
Ribs
- 3 lbs baby back ribs (2 full slabs)
- 2 onions sliced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
Rib Rub
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
BBQ Rib Sauce
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- 1/4 cup ketchup mixed with 1/2 cup chili sauce. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 275°F. Mix together Rib Rub ingredients.
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Remove the white membrane from the back side of the ribs (the side with less meat). It should pull off easily. Rinse ribs under cold water and blot dry with paper towels
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Massage Rib Rub into ribs. Place ribs on a foil lined baking sheet and cover with sliced onion and garlic. Cover & seal with another piece of foil
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Bake ribs for 2 hours. Carefully open the corner of the sealed foil and make sure they are tender. If not, bake another 20 minutes and check again.
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Meanwhile, combine Rib BBQ Sauce ingredients together.
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Remove ribs and discard juices, onions & garlic. Put the ribs back on the sheet. Brush ribs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper or brush generously with BBQ sauce.
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Grill or broil over medium high heat 5-10 minutes.
Don’t be intimidated by having to remove the silver skin from the back of the rib slab. This video shows how easy it is. Also, be sure to ask your butcher to remove it for you, most will be glad to .
Grilling or broiling the ribs will give the ribs a nice crust as it caramelizes the sugars in the sauce.
