There are a whole lot of ways you can cook baby back ribs and plenty of great recipes but there is one that I have found to be my “go-to” method because of its deliciousness and simplicity. It involves cooking baby back ribs in the oven as a shortcut, brushing a homemade barbecue sauce on it, and finishing them off on a charcoal or gas grill.
1. Your first step is to preheat the oven at 350 °.
2. Then, we need to get the baby backs going and for this method to work quickly and well, we are going to learn how to cook baby back ribs using a shortcut; you will place a good amount of dry rub on your ribs (I use Emeril’s Rib Rub Seasoning) and place them side by side in an aluminum baking dish in the oven. Cover the aluminum pans tightly with aluminum foil (very important).
Cook the ribs at 350 ° for exactly two hours.
3. Now, we need to make the barbecue sauce. Of all the barbecue sauces I have tasted when I eat out at restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, Longhorn’s, or any other local barbecue joints that boast about their baby back recipes, nothing beats the recipe I’m about to give you!
It starts with Big Mama’s Recipe, which, believe it or not, I got off the Internet years ago. Of course I made some modifications to suit my personal taste such as eliminating a lot of the sugar content in the original recipe. This allows you to eat and enjoy more ribs because sugary barbecue sauce is repugnant after a while and can make you feel sick very quickly. Still, as far as i am concerned, there is no better recipe for baby back ribs barbecue sauce. In my circle of friends and family, over 300 people can’t be wrong!
Here’s the modified version I use (better than the original in my opinion because it is less overbearingly sweet):
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup margarine or butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 med onion puree (use a blender or food processor) – this is optional but recommended
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup steak sauce
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
All you have to do is to mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Then you bring the contents to a boil and reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
This barbecue sauce recipe blows anything and everything away!
As a quick and cheaper alternative, use 2 “Sticky Fingers” brand Tennessee Whiskey or Memphis Original sauce and add the 1 medium onion puree as described in the above recipe. This is not the real deal but it comes very close and is far better than just about any baby back ribs barbecue sauce you will eat at any barbecue restaurant.
4. Once the ribs are done after exactly two hours at 350 °, it’s time to finish cooking them. You can do it using either a charcoal grill (which I recommend for maximum flavor) or a gas grill. Use hickory chips to add a nice smoky flavor (also very important). Cook the ribs and start brushing plenty of barbecue sauce on them until they are seared and have slightly black grill marks. Use your own personal preference when it comes to how long you want to cook them. Usually, 5 minutes on each side does the trick.
Who Said Cooking Baby Back Ribs In Oven Is Useless?
It isn’t when you simply use it as a shortcut! I have traveled the country and I have eaten in some highly-regarded barbecue restaurants. I have tried and eaten many great-tasting baby back rib recipes and I can easily say this recipe blows everything out of the water. The meat should firmly stick to the bones but they should come off easily and melt in your mouth!
If you want to do it the real way and slow-cook these baby back ribs a few hours on the grill, even better!
