“Fall-Off-The-Bone” Ribs in the Oven

Making perfect fall-off-the-bone ribs is actually really easy. It is possible to make them in the smoker, on the bbq or (in this case) in the oven. I love to bake them in the oven because I like that I have complete control over the temperature they cook at and I can count on consistent results every time.

There are two stages to cooking the perfect ribs:

1. Cooking long and low with a liquid (2.5 hours)
   • This is what breaks down the tough connective tissue
   • This is a great time to infuse flavor into the meat. I have been loving apple juice or cider but you can also use broth, beer, root beer etc. The important part is that the ribs are sealed up tight with foil so the moisture stays in and really gets into the meat

2 racks of ribs, one with a smokey rub and one with coarse salt

1. Creating the color and setting the sauce (0.5 hour)
   • This stage is done at a higher heat. It will give colour to the meat and help to set the BBQ sauce. You can use any BBQ sauce that you love.

If you follow these two steps you will get perfect ribs every single time. Guaranteed.

Ribs are not easily cooked on a weeknight because it takes so long to cook. But you can do the “slow and low” bake the night before and finish the ribs in the oven on or the BBQ the night you want to eat them. You can even freeze them after the first bake and save them for another time. If I have my oven on for that long I like to fill it up and cook as much as I can. Pop a bunch of potatoes in there to bake at the same time!