My Family Loves Baby Back Ribs

We recently celebrated three July birthdays—my grandson, Aiden, who turned 16, my daughter, Leelee, and son-in-law, Josh. Their ages won’t be revealed. Our grandson requested ribs. When I asked Josh what he preferred for an entrée, he said, “I love ribs.” My husband specifically requested baby back ribs, as they are his favorite cut.

Now, baby back ribs aren’t called “baby” because they come from baby pigs. No, they are simply shorter in length than other pork ribs. Baby back ribs comes from the upper rib cage of the pig and are leaner and more tender than other pork ribs.

Your supermarket will carry several varieties of pork ribs. What are the differences? Spareribs come from the pork belly and sternum bone and are larger, flatter, and have more marbling than baby back ribs. St. Louis-style ribs are just spareribs that have been trimmed into a rectangular shape, making them easier to cook. Country-style ribs come from the shoulder or pork loin. They can have bones but are often boneless and are meatier than other ribs.

If your family also loves baby back ribs, this recipe is a keeper. The recipe for barbecue sauce that follows is delicious, but you can also use your favorite store-bought sauce.

My Husband Loves His Baby Back Ribs

Serves 6

For the ribs:

4 pounds baby back ribs

(approximately one-half slab per serving)

Salt to taste

Large grind black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season ribs to taste with salt and pepper. Place meaty side down in a shallow roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven, drain excess fat from the pan, and turn ribs over to meaty side up. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue roasting for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and roast an additional 30 minutes. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, spread barbecue sauce over both sides of ribs, turning and basting until ribs are tender and glazed.

Optional: If you like grill marks on your ribs, place them on a hot grill for a few minutes per side, or until grill marks appear.

For the barbecue sauce:

1 can (6-ounces) tomato paste

¼ cup ketchup

1 cup water

2 tablespoons white vinegar

¼ cup lemon juice

⅓ cup brown sugar

¼ cup Worcestershire® sauce

½ teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

⅔ cup fresh onion, minced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

While ribs are roasting, in a medium saucepan, combine tomato paste, ketchup, water, white vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire® sauce, allspice, garlic, onion, and salt and simmer over a low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

Pork is Often Injected: Pork products are often injected with water, broth, salt, and extra flavorings. I avoid buying injected pork. To determine if pork is injected, read the ingredient label. Ingredients should be only pork. You may find the words “extra tender” and “juicy” on injected pork. It will also be high in sodium. If the nutritional label indicates a sodium count higher than 100 mg, the pork has been injected. Injected pork will contain too much liquid and may be difficult to sear. Once cooked, the meat may seem mushy and spongy. With the price of meat these days, who wants to pay for water?

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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