Issue Date: May 19, 2002
Ribs the easy way
Use this no-mess approach to make slabs and slabs of succulent meat in your oven -- then pack 'em up for a picnic with the crowd.
I've often thought ribs might be the one dish I could eat every day. It started when I was 5 and cried when my mom wouldn't let me eat leftover ribs for breakfast. Ribs are still a ritual meal whenever I go back to my childhood home. And I order them nearly every time I see them on a restaurant menu. In short, I'm hooked.
Until recently, however, I cooked ribs only for very special occasions. Their bulky shape made it difficult to roast or grill more than a few slabs simultaneously, and I rarely had enough time for the long process (especially for just two slabs).
While working on my new book of everyday dishes, I decided it was time to simplify a rib recipe so I could enjoy my favorite dish as often as I craved it. So I set to work, studying more than 50 recipes in cookbooks and on the Internet. With such a wide range of cooking methods, times, temperatures, techniques and tips, the research process was daunting.
But after three days of morning-to-midnight testing, I got what I wanted: a quick, simple way to cook a large quantity of ribs. With my new technique, I could make enough ribs in my gas oven to serve 12 to 16; people who have electric ovens can feed six to eight. And I had another revelation: Three days of testing and eating ribs made me realize that as much as I loved them, not even I could eat them every day!
Tips from my barbecue-sauce-stained lips
Skip marinades. They tend to overpower the wonderfully distinct character and flavor of the pork. Instead, brush the ribs with mustard (Dijon or even ballpark), then sprinkle with a dry rub. Spice rubs enhance pork flavor, and their sandy texture helps develop a flavorful crust. Mustard, the secret ingredient of many award-winning rib recipes, not only quietly flavors the ribs but also helps the dry rub cling, resulting in an impressive crust.
Roast ribs slow and low. No method -- grilling, smoking, boiling, broiling, roasting at higher oven temperatures, or any combination of those techniques -- produces ribs as juicy, tender, richly flavored and simple as those roasted in a 250-degree oven.
Roast ribs right on the oven rack. If roasted in a pan, the ribs' bottom sides steam. Cooking directly on the oven rack (and catching the drippings in a foil-lined pan) solves the steaming problem and also makes it possible to cook several slabs at a time. And cleanup is a breeze: Simply toss the foil, then remove the oven racks and wash them in hot, soapy water.
In gas ovens, the heating element is under the oven floor, so ribs can be cooked on both oven racks, making it possible to cook up to six slabs of spareribs at once. In electric ovens, the foil-lined pan must be placed on the bottom rack, because the heating coils are on the oven floor. Still, roasting three slabs of spareribs (or four slabs of baby-back ribs) at once is impressive.
Smoke first, if you like. For a smoky flavor, remove the racks from your gas grill and line the area over the burners with heavy-duty foil. Carefully pierce the foil several times with a fork, then scatter wood-soaked hickory (or other wood) chips on top. Put the grill racks back in place, close the lid and turn all the burners on high. In just seven or eight minutes, the grill should be fully preheated, and the chips will start to smoke. Place prepared ribs on the rack, turn the heat to medium, and smoke until the chips are spent, about 15 minutes. Transfer the ribs to the oven to slow-roast until tender.
At the last minute, brush fully cooked ribs with barbecue sauce and broil. Let them turn spotty brown: It will help the spice-rubbed exterior stay crisp and flavorful and will help the piquant glaze caramelize.
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The Best Oven-Roasted Ribs
6 Tbs. brown sugar
6 Tbs. paprika
3 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
9 Tbs. (1/2 cup + 1 Tb.) Dijon or yellow mustard
2 tsps. liquid smoke (optional)
3 slabs of pork spareribs (9 pounds), or 4 slabs of baby-back ribs (8 pounds)
Your favorite barbecue sauce (optional)
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. Mix mustard and optional liquid smoke in a small bowl. Brush both sides of each slab with mustard, then sprinkle both sides with the dry rub.
Line a large jellyroll pan or other shallow roasting pan with a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place the pan on the oven floor (if oven is gas) or bottom oven rack (if oven is electric), making sure the foil covers the entire oven level. Roast ribs until fork-tender -- 2 to 3 hours for spare ribs and 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby-back ribs.
If using barbecue sauce, remove foil-lined pan from oven and pour off fat. Transfer ribs to foil-lined pan, meat side down. Turn on broiler. Brush ribs with half the sauce. Put pan under broiler until glaze bubbles vigorously. Remove pan, turn ribs, brush with remaining sauce, and return to broiler until glaze bubbles vigorously.
Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into individual ribs and serve.
Serves: 8 (gas oven users may double this recipe).
Per serving: 877 calories, 59g protein, 0g fiber, 60g fat (21g saturated), 16g carbohydrates, 1,033mg sodium.
Copyright ©2002 by Pam Anderson. All rights reserved. Published by arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Co.
Today's recipe is from Contributing Editor Pam Anderson's new book, "CookSmart" (Houghton Mifflin, $28). For the next few months, Pam will be on the road signing books and demonstrating dishes like Perfect Chocolate-Chocolate Cake and Crispy "Oven-Fried" Chicken. To see whether she's visiting your town, check her schedule at usaweekend.com. And catch her on QVC's In the Kitchen With Bob at noon ET June 2.
Also:
 Pam's book tour and cooking classes
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