Bless Her Heart

Sometimes the kitchen can be a very scary place.

The knives, the hot oven, the heated stove burners, you name it.

I should know…

During the pandemic I had two surgeries on my finger because I dared to pit a mango with a wine glass…

I had pitted an avocado like this a billion times, so I thought that it would also work with a mango.

Unfortunately, the stem of the wine glass broke…cutting a tendon in my left ring finger…

Making ribs used to be intimidating.

But lately I have discovered that ribs are best cooked in the oven anyway…not to mention actually more delicious.

The secret to great roasts and ribs is cooking them low and slow in the oven. Two days ago, I made my recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast in the oven instead of the CrockPot. I will never make Mississippi Pot Roast in the CrockPot again,

These ribs are cooked at a slow and low temperature in the oven…giving you delicious ribs that actually do fall of the bone…anot to mention the fact that they are packed with smoky, sweet, and tangy flavor that the rib lovers totally love.

This recipe for oven-baked ribs is more of a technique than an actual recipe…a technique that can be used for several different cuts of meat – pork, beef and chicken.

Ribs:

Any type of pork rib can be used in this recipe – baby back, spare ribs or boneless country-style ribs.

Baby back ribs are typically shorter than other ribs out there. One rack of baby back ribs will feed one to two adults.

Spare ribs have more meat on them that baby back ribs do. Each slab typically feeds three to four adults. Just not that they take longer to cook.

Boneless ribs take slightly less time to cook.

Remove the Membrane: Before you cook ribs, you must first remove the thin outer membrane on the back of the ribs. Removing this membrane ensures that your ribs will be tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Dry Rub

Make the Spice Rub: This easy recipe for dry rub for ribs is packed with bold flavors – brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika – all add depth and smokiness to your rack of ribs…while also forming a delicious crust on your baby back ribs, spare ribs or boneless country-style ribs.

Not to mention that this dry rub is also great for making delicious pork chops and chicken…

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar enhances the natural flavor of the meat while also adding a rich caramelized sweetness. You could use white sugar, but that’s about like giving someone from the Deep South unsweetened tea…don’t even bother.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon enhances the overall richness and warmth.

Dry Mustard: Dry mustard adds a tangy sharpness that balances the sweetness of the dark brown sugar.

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: Garlic powder and onion powder create a savory base for the spice rub.

Kosher Salt: Essential for seasoning and drawing out moisture to help form that perfect crust. You could also use sea salt but you’ll want to use less of it. 

Pepper: Pepper adds the right amount of heat and bite.

• ½C brown sugar
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp cumin
• 1tsp dry mustard
• 1Tbsp garlic powder
• 1Tbsp kosher salt
• 1Tbsp onion powder
• ½tsp pepper
• 2Tbsp smoked paprika

Pat the ribs dry with paper towel. Mix all spice rub ingredients together.

Apply the Spice Rub: Brush slabs evenly with oil. Coat both sides of the ribs with spice mixture. Wrap ribs with plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet. Leave the ribs at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You could also refrigerate them anywhere from four to 24 hours.

Prep: Preheat oven to 275°F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a wire rack inside the baking sheet.

Cover the Ribs: Wrap each slab of ribs with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Covering the ribs with foil will keep them from drying out and becoming difficult to chew.

Bake: Place on prepared wire rack, bone-side up. Bake three hours, until tender.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Even though you could use your favorite barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s…too bad Duke’s doesn’t make barbecue sauce)…

But that wouldn’t be homemade, right?!

And homemade is usually better.

• ¼C honey
• 1C ketchup
• 1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ¾C brown sugar
• 1Tbsp yellow mustard
• 4# ribs
• 2Tbsp olive oil

Make the Barbecue Sauce (optional): Combine all of the barbecue sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, Reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasonings according to personal preference. Let the sauce cool slightly before applying it to the ribs.

Apply the Barbecue Sauce: ULet ribs rest for at least 10 minutes before taking the foil off. Brush ½C barbecue sauce on top of each slab. Remove from oven. Discard foil and drippings.

Bake the Ribs Again: Bake at 275°F for one more hour, until ribs are tender and meat is pulling away from bones.

Broil: Remove the ribs from the oven. Brush slabs evenly with remaining barbecue sauce. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return ribs to the oven. Bake 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and starts to caramelize.

Serve: The ribs are ready once they reach an internal temperature of 190°F, Once they are ready, apply a final layer of sauce. Let rest five minutes.Serve.

To store: Refrigerate for up to four days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and then bake them at 250°F.