There are, by my count, at least seven levels of fried chicken. The worst of them is good; the best, which I waited forty-four years to find, led to what can only be called an out-of-body experience. Let’s start at …
How to Bake the Best BBQ Ribs
Folks can be rather particular when it comes to barbecued ribs. Cooks, chefs and consumers of barbecue foods each have their own definite opinion on what separates the best BBQ ribs from the rest. For some, it's the type of rib -- beef or pork, baby back or spareribs. For others, it's the sauce. Some like it saucy, while others prefer it sparse or with no sauce at all. For those people, a rub may be their preference. The cooking method is another factor: in the smoker, on the barbecue or baked in the oven. If you're baking in the oven, pork spareribs are a smart choice for the best BBQ ribs. Add this to my Recipe Box.
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Things You'll Need
- Pork spareribs
- Paper towels
- Broiler pan
- Non-stick vegetable spray
- Barbecue sauce (your favorite brand)
- Pastry brush
- Tongs
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
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Rinse the spareribs in cool water and pat dry with a paper towel.
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Spray a broiler pan with non-stick vegetable spray. Spray the broiler pan's slotted top and the bottom portion that catches the grease. Even when the pan is sprayed, it may need a good soak after cooking, to remove all the baked-on sauce. If you don't have a broiler pan, you can use a meat rack set in a cooking pan. You don't want the ribs sitting in the grease as they bake.
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Place the ribs on the broiler tray, making a single layer and allowing a little room between each rib.
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Pour some barbecue sauce in a cup. Dip the pastry brush in the cup and apply a light coat of sauce to the ribs.
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Place the broiler pan of ribs in the oven, on the center rack in the middle of the oven.
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Bake in the oven at 250 degrees. Cooking slowly at a low temperature will produce more tender ribs. Reapply more sauce every 30 minutes and turn the ribs. Cooking time will vary for the amount of ribs you are baking. Expect to bake for at least 3 hours. Ribs are done when the meat is tender and you can easily separate them from the bone by sticking with a fork.
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Tips & Warnings
Never serve the remaining sauce in the cup with cooked ribs, at it has been contaminated by the raw pork.
References
Resources
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