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Bayou-Mama's Stupid-Easy Baby Back Ribs

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Notes

  • 1 rack (or more if you want) baby back ribs
  • Several teaspoons of your favorite BBQ rub (can be homemade or store-bought. I just grabbed some from the store...it was Sunday, people)
  • Your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 1 bottle of beer (I snagged a bottle of Shiner Bock from my husband)
  • Tools: a roasting pan with a rack, and heavy duty foil. You can add a brush if you really want to feel like the Julia Child of Barbecue.
Wow, that's a whole bunch of stuff, isn't it? How will we manage?
First, I seasoned both sides of the ribs liberally with the BBQ rub. You can let this sit overnight in the fridge if you have the time, but it's not necessary. Next, I sprayed the bottom of a roasting pan with non-stick spray (for easier clean up) and placed a baking rack in the pan. This kept the ribs elevated so they would have heat circulating all around them. It also prevented them from basically boiling in their own liquid.
Next, I poured the beer in the bottom of the pan and covered the whole she-bang tightly with foil. I placed the pan in a pre-heated 275 degree oven and let it bake for about 2 to 2/2 hours. When I took it out of the oven, it looked like this:
ribs
Don't worry, it gets better, I promise. I then liberally brushed the ribs with BBQ sauce, recovered them with foil, and baked them for about 45 minutes to an hour:
ribs 2
So, I had perfectly cooked, tender ribs but I wanted to firm up that sauce for a more caramelized finish. I placed the ribs uncovered under the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes, watching carefully to prevent those annoying unattended broiler mishaps:
ribs 3
The result was fall-off-the-bone perfection that was far superior to any of my previous attempts at the perfect rib rain dance. The only catch is that it truly takes several hours in the oven, but you just can't get around that. I said it was stupid-easy, not magic.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!