Easy Baked Ribs - Video Recipe

Summertime is right for ribs. I guess anytime is fine, but I usually smoke ribs in my patio during the warm weather months. But for this recipe I make it easy by only baking the Ribs.

My latest recipe features cheaper Pork Spare Ribs but you can use any you like or find on sale, include Beef Ribs.

I first add a 3-ingredient dry rub and favorite barbecue sauce on the ribs. Wrap them in foil. Finally, you bake ribs until tender, about 3 to 4 hours.It's important to wrap the ribs in foil so they do not dry out and will stay moist with steaming to reach fall-apart tenderness.

I use a simple dry rub of garlic and chili powder along with salt and pepper, that's it. You can even buy store bought versions, or use your own family recipe.

Memphis Style BBQ dry rub mix

You can use any local favorite dry rub and barbecue sauce that's on sale.

Click on any photo to see larger.

I get my Pork Spare Ribs for about $2 per pound from my local Latin grocery store called Superior Grocers, now that's a good deal.

My simple dry rub ingredients come from a local Dollar Tree and 99c only Store. Barbecue sauce is cheap at any grocery store. If you have a local fave then use that.

This summer I'm racking up with slabs of Easy Baked Ribs for my summer patio parties. How about you?

Easy Smoked Ribs - Video

Play it here. Video runs 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1 large rack pork spare ribs - about 4 pounds. You can use this recipe for any favorite pork or beef ribs.
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder - any dried type of garlic.
• 2 tablespoons chili powder - okay to substitute with paprika.
• Salt and Pepper to taste - I used about a tablespoon each

* If you have a favorite premixed or grocery store Dry Rub then use that instead of garlic powder and chili powder.

Directions
With the meat side up, apply garlic and chili powder, plus salt and pepper - sprinkle over pork spare ribs. You can lightly rub seasoning onto meat side. For extra meaty ribs then add seasonings all over the ribs.

Can you sprinkle on a half a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke? Sure, why not.

Finally, add BBQ sauce. Okay to leave it off, if you like your Easy Baked Ribs plain.

Some recipes call for removing the bottom rib membrane. I don't because the ribs are cooked so long the tough membrane renders to a soft fatty texture. But if you want to follow the crowd go ahead and remove membrane.

 If I was grilling only (no baking stage) then I would slice away most of the membrane on the rib/bone side. Shorter times of grilling would not last long enough to tenderize, so the membrane will be tough and stringy.

rib membrane

To prepare the ribs for baking, wrap Spare Ribs in foil tightly. Try not to tear the foil or leave any holes or the meat juices will steam away and the ribs will dry out a bit too much.

Place the meat wrapped in foil on a rack or pan. Some meat juices will leak out a little bit, so best to have a pan to catch it. I keep the meat side facing up. If meat is in contact with a hot pan surface it will fry, dry and toughen.

The view inside foil while baking.

When done baking wait 5 minutes and carefully unwrap the ribs, they may still be hot. If any meat juices are left you can pour out and save to drizzle on ribs when serving.

I like to serve my Easy Baked Ribs with cool Coleslaw or Potato Salad, click on recipe names to read all about them.

Hindsight - Easy Smoked Baked Ribs
Follow my baking directions above. Just leave off the barbecue sauce. When done wait a few minutes then unwrap and remove foil carefully as ribs will be very hot.

Add the meat to a pan or rack with a bottom. You can also just put the meat on your bbq grill. This is when I add a layer of barbecue sauce to the rib meat. Put on as much or as little as you like. Hey, you can even leave it off.

I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs in a gas grill with a cover for just an hour only. For the real thing, you normally have to smoke meat all day.

My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rests over a low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5  minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.

The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.

Spare Ribs have most of the meat on one side so make sure the meat is facing up to get all the smoke flavor. Some ribs have meat on both sides, so turn the meat a couple of times during smoking time.