Righteous Ribs!

Some of the easiest and most satisfying dinners I make involve BBQ Ribs.  People (women especially) shy away from ribs b/c they feel they can’t make them the way restaurants do b/c they don’t have the right equipment, seasonings, etc…  Well, I am here to tell all those folks they are WRONG; the average-jane/joe CAN make delicious ribs in their very own kitchen!  And in true vanilla-style, I have included a twisted recipe for my homemade Righteous Ribs!

BBQing is an ancient practice.  We’ve been cooking meat over an open flame since the cavemen, but what really makes a BBQ is the sauce I think.  Every American family has a BBQ sauce recipe; there are a million of them out there!  Find one that you love and live by it; it’ll work well for any meat you decided to BBQ!  BBQing has also come along way from open flames as well.  Now, you can cook over a flame or coals, on a grill, or even in an oven (baked BBQ).  Whatever your style, make it work for you!  And if you don’t have an outdoor patio, grill, or fire-pit, don’t worry!  BBQed meats taste just as wonderful from the oven!  Work with wat you’ve got!

So, Righteous Ribs!  I chose pork for this recipe, but beef, lamb, or chicken would taste good as well.  I don’t currently have my own grill or fire-pit, so I choose to bake my ribs.  My gas oven works wonders and lets me focus on other tasks (culinary or not) while my ribs cook!

Ingredients:

• Racks of Ribs; 1 rack was enough for us; generally 3-4 servings per rack
• Caribbean-Jerk Seasoning: about 4 tbsp. per rack
• Yellow onion: 1 per rack, cut into quarters
• Water: enough to cover the bottom of your baking pan
• BBQ sauce: at least 1 cup per rack for meat while cooking and more to serve with meat.  I chose Honey BBQ sauce b/c it compliments the jerk flavor in the seasoning.

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (~177°C)
2. You’ll want to start with completely thawed ribs.  Place raw ribs into baking pan.  Using about 2 tbsp per side, generously cover ribs with seasoning.  Place ribs meat-side down in pan.
3. Add onion all around ribs in pan.  Add enough water to just cover the bottom of pan.
4. Cover pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Now is the ‘free’ time when you can focus on other things while your ribs cook!
5. After 45 minutes, remove ribs from oven (keep oven on) and remove foil from pan.  Your ribs should looked cooked on the outside.
6. Using about 1 cup of BBQ sauce per rack, cover both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce.  I suggest using a pastry brush (or something similar) to fully coat ribs and get the sauce in all the crevices.  Feel free to use more sauce than I recommend; make these ribs to YOUR tastes!
7. Place ribs back into oven (no foil this time) for another 30 minutes.  Use this time to prepare your side dishes (if any) or enjoy some more ‘free’ time!
8. After 30 minutes, remove ribs from oven (turn off oven now) and promptly serve!  Don’t forget to offer more BBQ sauce with your Righteous Ribs!

I chose to serve my Righteous Ribs with Twisted Macaroni and Buttered Peas!  I love the way these sides compliment my ribs.  Check the blog tomorrow for those recipes! Enjoy your feast!

Vanilla isn’t plain or boring, my cooking is simple and flavorful with a twist on the classics! Discover the vanilla in you!