Ina Garten’s Foolproof Ribs with BBQ Sauce

No smoker? No problem. Ina Garten’s foolproof ribs are slow cooked in the oven and finished on the grill and topped with crazy delicious BBQ sauce.

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It’s that time of the month again! It’s the 4th Thursday and the month and therefore Pass the Cook Book Club time! For July, we were given three recipes from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten. I almost made the blondies but ended up going for the ribs as I have never cooked them myself before.

Bonus points to this recipe because even though I now have a smoker, when I first made these I did not, so an oven method finishing on the grill was more feasible for me. As I am sure it is for many people out there because, while smokers are more common, they are not a standard household appliance.

I prepared the Ina Garten BBQ sauce the day before to make my life easier the next day when cooking the ribs. The BBQ sauce alone smelled amazing as it simmered on the stove and this recipe made a TON of BBQ sauce (I had a lot of BBQ sauce leftover, but I am actually excited about it because it’s delicious).

Then the next day, my plan-ahead-preparations were thrown off by going to the store to buy the ribs and finding out they were frozen solid! I then had to thaw them in the sink full with water but it worked fairly quickly.

Finally, once they were in the oven topped with BBQ sauce, their aromas began seeping through the surrounding rooms. Despite the treat my nose was enjoying, I was still nervous somehow about whether they would be good or not because I am not a grill-master.

But as soon as they were transferred to the grill I was convinced they had to be good when one of the bones literally fell off the meat. This was further verified upon finally sinking my teeth into the ribs and cleaning off every bone – not a trace of meat left on those suckers. Foolproof Barefoot Contessa ribs indeed!

On the side, I served these ribs with scalloped potatoes with bacon & jalapeno and a Ranch version of corn spoon bread. But you could serve it up with whatever your favorite sides are. Maybe get some greens on your plate with a kale slaw or broccoli salad.

Post updated 6/24/2024, photo above is the original.

One year ago: Strawberry Malted Pancakes

Two years ago: Peanut Butter Sandwich Bread

FOOLPROOF RIBS WITH BBQ SAUCE

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Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes 2 Hours 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BBQ SAUCE

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz. tomato paste
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

RIBS

• 5 lbs. Baby Back or St. Louis ribs), membrane removed
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.
2. For the ribs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil.
3. Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Pour a generous amount of the BBQ sauce on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours for baby backs and 1-3/4 hours for St. Louis ribs, or until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork.  As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce.  Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat.  Brush the coking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking.  Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side-down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open), and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side-down, put the lid back on, and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust