This Sunday is Father’s Day. If you’re like most households, you’ll gather and share a meal in honor of dear old Dad. While it can be difficult to decide what gifts to get him, you can’t go wrong serving him barbecue. Especially barbecued ribs.
Tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs are always a crowd pleaser. They’re affordable and frequently on sale. There are dozens of ways to prepare ribs, and each cook has their personal preference. Here’s mine: I like to simmer them, then finish on the grill. I find this to be the easiest, quickest and most goof-proof method to prepare killer delish ribs every time.
There are three main cuts of ribs: spareribs, baby back ribs and St. Louis-style ribs. The spareribs are the largest of the three, cut from the bottom portion of the ribs; they’re prepared with the tips attached and are wider than the other cuts. They have less meat-to-bone ratio but are more flavorful because of a better mix of meat, bone and fat.
Baby back ribs are cut from the upper portion of the rib cage and are meatier but also more expensive.
St. Louis-style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed of the rib tips and are closer in width to baby backs. The great price point makes St. Louis-style ribs my cut of choice.
In all cuts of ribs there will likely be a silvery membrane on the bone side of the piece that should be removed. It cooks up tough and is nearly impossible to chew, so it must go. Start at one end and use a knife to loosen the end of the membrane, then use a paper towel to hold the slippery thing as you peel it off completely.
In the recipe below, simmer the ribs before finishing on the grill. I recommend this for two reasons: tenderness and time. Simmering the ribs allows all the connective tissue to soften into juicy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness in a fraction of the time it’d take to bake, smoke or grill alone. On average, it takes six hours to completely cook ribs using a low and slow method. That’s great if you have the time and inclination. Simmering ribs takes under two hours from start to table.
DIVA’S EASY BBQ RIBS
What you’ll need
1 or 2 slabs St. Louis-style ribs
Salt
Your favorite dry rub, optional
Your favorite barbecue sauce, or see recipe below
Here’s how
Place ribs in a stock pot and cover with water. Add one tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer. Cover pot with heat on low and simmer gently for 40 to 45 minutes or until the meat becomes tender but not falling off the bone. When done, drain and place ribs on a platter to rest.
Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season the ribs liberally with barbecue rub, if using. Alternatively, you can combine equal parts kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to season the ribs.
Brush on a light coat of barbecue sauce and place ribs on the grill. Grill the ribs, basting with additional sauce and turning frequently, for 15 minutes, or until caramelized and browned.
Speedy sauce
In a saucepan combine:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
Add 1 tablespoon each: Worcestershire sauce, molasses and apple cider vinegar
Add 1/4 teaspoon each: garlic powder and onion powder
Stir together until bubbling.
Since the barbecue is hot, grill some corn on the cob, make coleslaw and call it good. Happy Father’s Day from Divas On A Dime.
Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is a recipe developer and food writer of the website “Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous!” Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com.