Today I’m making Baby Back Ribs for the family. I used to be afraid to try these, but I’ve found that I really can cook them with success. I also made them over the Fourth of July holiday, and they were a hit with the family. My brother-in-law Henry is the expert, so everything I know about ribs I learned from him.
Start with choosing the ribs. I got a large pack with three sides. The weight of this package was about 9 1/2 pounds.
Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane from the bone side of the rib slab. This is easier than it sounds. Just take a knife to get it started at one corner, then pull. It comes off without difficulty once it is started.
I then cut the racks in half to make them easier to handle.
The next step is to make a dry rub for the ribs. Mix equal parts of brown sugar and a dry barbecue seasoning rub.
I used one cup of brown sugar and one cup of Strawberry’s Grand Champion Seasoning. Henry likes to use Famous Dave’s Rib Rub mixed with his brown sugar, but I can’t buy that brand in my little town. I’ll have to look for it in a larger grocery store.
Mix the brown sugar and seasoning together.
Liberally coat the the ribs with this mixture on both sides.
This can be done the night before if you want to let them marinate in the rub all night, or they can be rubbed down right before they are cooked. I rubbed mine down this morning right before they went into the oven.
After the ribs are all rubbed, wrap them tightly in heavy aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan.
Place pan in a preheated 300 degree F oven for approximately 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is tender and starts to pull back from the ends of the rib bones.
Mine cooked today for 4 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and let the ribs cool down a bit.
The next step is to add the barbecue sauce. Use your favorite brand. This is the brand Henry recommends, and it’s the best that I have tried for ribs.
After the ribs have cooled down some, brush on a coating of the sauce.
Landon was in charge of brushing on the sauce. I kept the ribs turned while he brushed on both sides. We also transferred them to a new pan at this point to get them up out of the liquid that had cooked out.
You can now either return them to the oven for a short while to heat back up, or put them on the grill if you prefer. They just can’t be left on the grill very long without burning the sauce. It was 100 degrees outside today with a heat index of 110, so I just put mine back in the oven and skipped the grill part.
Remove from the oven and separate into sections of 2 or 3 ribs before serving.
My family loves these ribs, and they are requested often at my house.
These look so gorgeous. I love ribs.
The honey chipotle sauce sounds delicious. I never cook ribs but I sure like eating them 🙂
Thank you so much for submitting this to my monthly recipe collection for July – Cookout Food.
The new theme for August will be posted tomorrow, and I hope you will submit again. 🙂
We love the same brand and flavor of BBQ sauce. Your ribs look fantastic! Can't wait to try them. Thanks for linking up to Hunk of Meat Monday.
OMGoodness Anita, these look good! We love ribs and fix them outside on the grill or in the smoker, so I am trying your recipe…I need a way to fix them inside the house too! haha Thanks so much for joining in on the 1st Rock N Share party!
I was happy to see a baby back rib recipe where the ribs were cooked in the oven from start-to-finish….and with SUCCESS! I frequent Aunt Nubby's Kitchen often looking for dinner ideas for the troops that I cook for.
These look so good and so easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing another great recipe at the Grill, BBQ, and Picnic Party!
I'm always looking for good baby back rib recipes. I was particularly glad to see you completed your process from start-to-finish in the oven….with SUCCESS! You will be happy to know you are, and have been for a while now, listed as a "Blog I Love" on the sidebar of my own blog.
I stop by and visit you often. 🙂
How about linking this in to Food on Friday: Marinades and Rubs? Cheers