Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs
Spring is looming oh-so-near, and all this sun and warm weather brings the promise of grilling season. As much as I love
braises
My boyfriend on the other hand is the pit master in this relationship. In fact, he was raised on generations of secret family recipes, passed down from father to son. Their all-day smoked pulled pork is enough to make you weep. (Seriously, it’s incredible.) This means I’m usually banished to the kitchen; fortunately, my signature sides pair nicely with his succulent ‘cue.
But sometimes I get a little impatient. With a beautiful February Sunday looming ahead of me, I wanted a warm weather meal from the comfort of my oven, no charcoal required. Sometimes a girl has to take the horse by the reins, right?
As Easy and Hands-Off As It Gets
These oven-baked barbecue ribs are about as hands-off as it gets. Meaning you can be planning your summer garden while they cook away. Or laying on the couch watching the Oscars red carpet. Or hand-cutting, battering, and frying five pounds of french fries. Or all of the above.
By the time they come out of the oven, you’ll be so hungry from the delicious smells taking over your house, you won’t even question that they didn’t come from the grill. Pair the oven-baked ribs with your favorite summer side dish (potato salad would be perfect!), a crisp white wine, and you’ve got yourself a summer meal in the dead of winter.
Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs
Serves 4-6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the ribs
5 pounds beef back ribs
For the marinade
- 1 cup
canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup
cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons
packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon
plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon
garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
For the barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups
ketchup
- 1/3 cup
Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup
steak sauce or marinade (I use Allegra)
- 2 tablespoons
unsulfured molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon
onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon
liquid smoke
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
For the marinade
Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. In a large baking dish, pour marinade over ribs and refrigerate, basting occasionally, for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 300°. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and cook ribs for 2 hours.
Increase the oven temperature to 350°. Remove the aluminum foil and baste ribs with barbecue sauce. Continue cooking for 45 minutes, basting with sauce every 15 minutes. The ribs should easily separate with a knife and the meat should be fall off the bone tender.
Serve ribs with remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
For the barbecue sauce
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook until thick, approximately 10 minutes.