One of my favorite things to get at a BBQ joint is ribs. But have you ever had them not saucy, and they’re kinda tough? Like you kind of have to fight to get the meat off, and to top it off, they’re dry? NO THANKS. Saucy ribs to the day I die. And if they don’t fall off the bone… I don’t want ’em.
I chose this picture out of the 1039403 that I took, because it shows just how fall-off-the-bone they are. A piece fell off as I was transporting to the plate and we tried to make it look like it didn’t…but I think that just goes to show how great this recipe is!
My mom always taught me that ribs in the oven were the way to go. I know that may be controversial to some considering ribs on the grill or smoker are usually the choice for the die-hards. But something about the low and slow in the oven, and then cranking up the oven the last twenty minutes to really caramelize that BBQ sauce – you get the best of both worlds. Tender, yet a nice outside crisp to them.
I think the secret also is to baste throughout the 3 hours. Every hour, I took them out of the oven and using the BBQ sauce/juices/beer (another secret), I did a nice baste of the ribs. It helps to break down the meat to create that tenderness, fall-off-the-bone texture.
Another little trick I learned when I worked in a restaurant, was to combine your BBQ sauce with the drippings from the ribs. It elevates store-bought sauce to the next level. These ribs are definitely saucey – make sure you have your wet wipes ready!!!
Fall off the Bone Ribs
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lbs of pork ribs
- 2.5 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- ¼ cup your favorite beer
- Your favorite BBQ sauce I used Sweet Baby Rays
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275. Season both sides of the ribs with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place in a pyrex or deep baking dish. Brush on your BBQ sauce, just enough for a thin coat each side. Add your beer to the dish. Place in the oven, covered, for 3 hours. Every hour, remove from the oven and baste the ribs with the juices/beer, while brushing on a few more tablespoons of BBQ sauce.
- When 3 hours is up, crank up the oven to 400. Remove the ribs and bring them onto a cutting board. Cut each rib so they’re individual pieces, and return them back to your baking dish. Fully coat each one, both sides, with all of the juices. Add one more little dot of BBQ sauce to each one.
- Return to the oven and let the ribs caramelize for 10 minutes, then turn each one so the other side can caramelize for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. In a small saucepan, place 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce, with all of the drippings from the ribs. Turn on heat to medium, until it comes to a slow boil and everything is combined. Serve the ribs with the BBQ sauce on the side, and you can even coat one more time before serving. ENJOY!
