Ribs in the Oven?

 You can smoke them at low-mid temperature on the grill for 2-3 hours then bring them inside to finish cooking when you feel like having ribs.  This way you get convenience plust good smoke flavor.

The temperature on the grill should be a little above slow smoking, enough to brown and cook the ribs but not burn them.  Wrap in foil, put them in the freezer, remove and finish cooking in the oven at 325F until done.

I would put them in a crockpot (slow cooker) if you have it that would be a fantastic way to cook them and they will come out so tender each time. Smoking them on a grill for 2-3 hours uses a ton of fuel and requires a lot of attention. The crock pot is a full proof way for tender ribs with little hassle for a busy schedule. You won't get the flavor of the grill but given your situation I think it is an excellent alternative.

Kuan and Nicko's ideas are very good. 

But to go right to your question:  Yes, you can throw them in the oven.  There are a lot of oven recipes for great ribs which don't include or mimic outdoor methods.  One traditional favorite is spare ribs cooked with sauerkraut.  It's a very easy dish to make, and should you want to know more I'll happily supply a recipe.

BDL

A little salt and pepper and chili powder will make a mighty fine rib in the over, yes sir.

You guys see that show a few weeks ago on food network where they cook two racks and had three judges taste between one rack outdoor grilled and the other in the oven with liquid smoke. Two out of the three guys picked the oven rib to be the bbq'd rib. I call  complete BS on that one and me thinks the liquid smoke people paid for that episode no doubt about it in my mind, lol.

They can take 4 or so hours at 250. But they'll be done then. So you can't leave them in there all day.

You can still cook them in the oven without sauerkraut.  How about onions? 

Preheat your oven to 275. 

Lay a bed of thick sliced onions in a large baking pan.  If you like roasted garlic, consider throwing in a couple of whole garlic heads as well.

Trim the spare ribs, including taking the membrane from the bony side of the ribs and any necessary cutting to fit them into your largest baking pan. 

Season the ribs as you would for outdoor cooking (if you want a seasoning recipe -- sure).  You may use liquid smoke, smoked salt, smoked paprika, or smoked anything else without added fear of eternal damnation.

Lay the ribs in the pan on top of the onions -- meaty side up; bony, cup side down -- cover with foil. 

Put the ribs in the oven and cook for 3-1/4 hours. 

Remove from the oven, uncover, and check for doneness by using the "wiggle" and/or "bend test."  If the ribs aren't very close to done, cover and return to the oven for another half hour.  If they are, remove the onions and garlic, and set them aside.  You may also baste and/or glaze the ribs if you like.  Use the drippings, barbecue sauce, fruit jelly cut with bourbon, or... ? 

Return to the oven uncovered.  Allow to cook for another 20 minutes so a light crust can form or the glaze can set. 

Remove from the pan, portion and sauce the ribs as desired.  Serve the onions and garlic with toast or crusty bread as a side. 

BDL

WOW. Hhhmmmmm. Interesting. 

I've cooked from 1 rack to 12 racks to a very nice "gently peel off" consistency in the oven by braising for 2 1/2 hours @ 250*. Yes, it's the Alton Brown style, if you were gonna ask. I make a rub, then rub up the ribs, put them away in a zip-lock for anywhere from 3 hours to overnight, lay them in a pan w/ 1 cup braising liquid, seal the pan for all it's worth, then cook them up. After the 2 1/2 hours, not any longer, I pour out all the liquid and reduce it to half. I paint up the ribs and put them back uncovered in a screaming hot oven (500*+) for 10 or so minutes. Serve 'em up. I've never had any complaints. 

* Standard sides always include baked beans, cole-slaw and corn-bread.     But that's for another thread.

x

Hey BDL ..........

I started out using Alton's way, then I just simply modified it to exactly what I posted. I hate baby-back, I almost always use spare-ribs. The way I posted is the way I do spare-ribs. When using baby-backs you don't get anywhere near the good cook-down liquid, you get rendered-out fat. That doesn't reduce.  If my style is just put back in the oven without the painted-on sauce, to crisp up, they wouldn't be wet (plus, I didn't see that last part in the original post). DUH. 

I have done them in the oven uncovered and had them turn out fine. Lay on a sheet pan and cook at 250 as mentioned until tender. I do mop once an  hour to add some moisture and that extends the cook time with opening the oven door. I am not a fan of foiling ribs as you can tell, when I do them on the smoker I never use foil.

If they are covered with foil they steam.  BDL havn't had ribs with kabusta (kraut) in 40 years  Brings back memories of my grandmother.

Just curious, Mary: do you have an actual objection to foil, or is this just the way you happen do it? If you do object, I'd like to know why?

I don't cook ribs in foil. But I finish them by taking them off the grill, wrapping in foil, and letting them sit for a final half-hour. That gives me the finish I like: Just enough tooth so you have to pull the meat off the bone, but the meat is moist and flavorsome.

I do ribs in the oven more often than on a grill or smoker.  Start with a large disposable aluminum pan or chafing dish (I get mine at Sam's Club, 15 for about $12, easily fits 2 full racks and a third if positioned carefully).  Remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs then coat with a dry rub, you could add some liquid smoke to the pan also.  Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 275 for about 4 hours.  Remove the foil and coat ribs with you choice of BBQ sauce and return to oven for another 45 min.  Toss the pan for super easy clean up, my kids love this recipe!

Living on the 'wet coast', I often have to do ribs in the oven. I usually use foil for a few hours on low heat, (250ish, with a rub), and then finish for the final couple of hours without a cover. I do mop with a fairly wet sauce, and I often have to remove fat from the pan part way through the process.

The membrane blocks seasoning and is generally considered unpleasant to eat.

So removing it helps you season the meat evenly and completely and makes for what most feel is a better chew.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukouvagia 

Thank you for the suggestions, I do intend to try them in the oven however we've decided to do them outdoors today even though it's raining.  Don't ask me why lol.  I'd like to try Mary's method of leaving them uncovered but is that possible without a mop?  I don't like wet ribs. 

 

Why oh why do you remove the membrane?  it's one of my favorite parts to gnaw on.

Yes it is possible with out a mop, keep the lid closed and dont peek too often it helps keep them moist and tender and juicy.

I am not a fan of foil either for cooking but for resting yes, although I do sometimes wrap at competition when running behind, cooks faster that way.

the ones in the tray are from this past weekends cook the others at home, no foil needed. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceMan 

Hey BDL ..........

 

I started out using Alton's way, then I just simply modified it to exactly what I posted. I hate baby-back, I almost always use spare-ribs. The way I posted is the way I do spare-ribs. When using baby-backs you don't get anywhere near the good cook-down liquid, you get rendered-out fat. That doesn't reduce.  If my style is just put back in the oven without the painted-on sauce, to crisp up, they wouldn't be wet (plus, I didn't see that last part in the original post). DUH. 

Ice,

I owe you an apology for "taking off on a rant."  Right or wrong, I was out of line and am deleting the offensive post.  Your contributions are always good, even if my mood isn't.  

BDL 

KK, I assume you'll be using the grill cover, especially since it's raining?

That being the case, you do not need a mop of any kind. When I make ribs I trim the membrane, then use a dry rub to season them. These go on the grill, with the temps maintained at from 225-250F. When they're all but done I brush them with a bbq sauce and cook another half hour. Then wrap in foil for an additional half hour.

The sauce acts as a glaze, rather than causing wet ribs. But there's no reason you can't leave that step out.

I have found ribs on the smoker without foil taste better than ones that are foiled. The mop doesn't make them wet, it creates the nice crispy bark. I do foil for a rest in the cooler wrapped in towels.

BDL ... first off, STFU. I took no offense at anything. It seemed to me just like ordinary conversation. Secondly, don't delete anything (see: "first off" for explanation). From your point of view as per the topic you were absolutely correct. I felt stupid though that I missed the dry/wet part. 

HEY QUETEX ... Those are GREAT pics. Go away with that kinda stuff unless you bring enough for the entire party. 

Why cook indoors?

One of the great things about cooking ribs in the oven is putting things under the ribs to roast in the rendering fat and ascend to paradise. 

Why remove the membrane?

You remove the thin, clear membrane so you can season the back, but mostly to make the ribs easier to eat.  If you're cooking over direct heat, it's an unnecessary step as the membrane will crack and partly burn off.  One of the great pleasures of ribs can be scraping the cooked meat off with your teeth.  Koukouvagia, you are one stylish carnivore.

To foil or not to foil:

I foil or not as the mood strikes me; but consider foiling "3,2,1" for spares and "2,1,1" for BBs to be a very good idea for beginners or anyone using a drafty pit or for any pit which won't hold a constant temperature.  Not everyone has a Klose or a Traeger.   It's a really good idea for a noobie to get some success under her belt -- even if that means doing things "the easy way" -- before moving onwards and upwards to more advanced techniques.  Start by learning what "done" looks like using the bend and bite tests.

To mop or not to mop:

The more frequently you open the pit to mop during the first 2/3 of the cooking process, the more hot, humid air is replaced by cold, dry air and the drier your meats are likely to be.  Of course, this depends a great deal on how tight your cooker is -- and a lot of other things as well.  Many a great rack has been cooked "open pit" with plenty of mopping.

Got any videos?

No.  But do have some pictures illustrating one way to do a good job.

Let's start with butchering. 

Both of these racks of spares have been partly trimmed -- chine bones; flaps; small tangled end bones; and membrane removed -- and rubbed with a very straightforward pork rub.  A standard "St. Louis" trim would have taken the tips, but I like to keep the tips with the ribs most of the time.  

Alas, no pictures of the untrimmed ribs -- but here's one of the trim. 

I smoke and use the chines for flavoring all sorts of things, the flaps as "burnt ends," and -- when I trim them -- the tips for lunch.  Notice that the cuts are all straight and even, with no hesitation marks.  Next stop, serial killing. 

Trimmed, rubbed, and ready to lock and load.

This is what the slabs looked like after about 2-1/2 hours at 250. 

I like to foil in a baking pan with a (donut) rack.  Pans are great.  They're a little looser than a straight foil wrap, and the rack allows you to be freer with the amount of liquid you use without as much risk of making the meat mush or ruining the bark.  In this case, said liquid is peach schnapps.  Yes.  I know.

Here they are, foiled in their pan. 

Can you tell which shelf has the ribs and which the chicken?

The never-fail bend test told me they were done; ready to pull, portion and plate.

Notice, the visible differences between half and fully done are relatively subtle.  You can see that the meat has pulled back to reveal more of the bones, but the color is still "competition red," and the surface looks nicely barked, but not dried out.  These ribs were foiled for about forty-five minutes, then "finished" uncovered for another thirty.  Notice also, that despite their time under foil, they were not by any means, "wet." 

Bend Test.

Pinch the center rib along its long axis with your tongs, and gently lift the slab.  If the sides bend almost straight down in an upside down "U," the ribs are perfectly done.  You can tell how much more cooking depending on how much the sides stick out.  If the meat offers very little resistance and wants to tear, the slab is somewhat overdone and you want to handle it very carefully. 

Alas^2. 

No pictures of portioned ribs, you'll have to trust me when I tell you the cut sides were shiny-moist with meat juice. 

Bite Test.

There wasn't much resistance to the tooth, the meat was as tender as it could be, but still leave a clear bite mark and not "fall off the bone."  That is the "bite" test for doneness.  Worth saying that at a certain level of what's either sophistication or competition orientation, you realize that "fall of the bone" is not the goal.  However, if "falling off the bone" is what you like, there's no reason it shouldn't be your goal.  De gustibus, and all that.

Be all the rib you can be.

I'm neither saying nor implying these are the best looking ribs ever, but perhaps they're up there, tied with a great many others.  The same might be said of their overall quality.

Wiggle Test.

The first visual test is checking to see if the meat has shrunk back from the bones, and, if so, how much.  However, that can be deceptive.  Actually the first serious, tactile test you should try is wiggling the bones in their sockets.  If they don't wiggle at all, the slab is far from cooked.  If they wiggle very freely and feel as though you can pull them out without much resistance, the ribs are overdone and should be removed immediately.  Don't even try the bend test, then -- or the slab will break and you'll have meat everywhere. 

The Bottom Line.

There are a lot of ways to make great ribs.  The styles which will work best for you depend partly on what you want, and partly on what equipment you're using to cook them. 

BDL

you can try this if you like. my mother parboils them briefly in a little shallow water then bakes them. she applies sauce on them the last ten minutes.  I have done this if I have to cook a large portion of ribs and need to have the meat ready with the rest of the meal. I apply a dry rub on them though prior to baking. 

Very good post BDL

QUETEX,

Thanks man.  Proud of you too, for your first place.  Way to go.

BDL

Here in Florida we deal with an older clientel . We take off the membrane in many cases so the rib is not so hard for them to chew. We also buy rye bread no seeds so as they do not get seeds caught in their teeth bridge or plate. One must consider everything when dealing with the public.

Another example is our restaurants are packed at 5 00 o clock and slow down about 8pm the reverse of most places. Its called earlybirds and menu is sold at discount. and buy one get one free or various other promos. Thats how you stay in business in Florida.

I rarely have occasion to cook ribs and i can't light a fire to save my life (tried a chimney and it lit up in a whirlpool of hot fire, like the gates of hell, and then two minutes later when i dared get close enough to dump the charcoal, there was hardly any left!  My husband won't barbecue, not in his culture i guess) but if i were to cook them they would either be cooked on the barbecue or in the grill of my oven.

But, i wondered why one would cook ribs in a slow cooker?  How can that be anything at all like a barbecue? It's a stew of ribs.  Barbecue means a nice crust, roasty taste, and slow cooker means slowly simmered, low moist heat.  Maybe because for me meat that is simmered or steamed is not worth eating, and am not a fan of stews, but even if i were, i don't get how that can be even remotely compared to barbecue?  It's an entirely different thing. 

I'm with you, Koukou, i like to pull off the meat from the bone, membrane and all, like a wild carnivore or a paleolithic tribeswoman around the hearth fire.  Otherwise what's the point of eating ribs?  Get a nice, tender piece of meat, cut it with a knife and fork and a cloth napkin in your lap...  Yes, toothpicks and floss, and all that stuff is necessary, esp at my age!  I do accept that element of civilization.