I rub mine and then sear on the grill. Then I cook them covered in the oven for 2-3 hours or when they start pulling away from the bone and then sauce them. I don't separate the rack.
They are always good or we think so.

Jane, I've not prepared ribs using that method mostly, I guess, because we usually eat ribs in the summer & don't want to run the oven for hours.

Mostly, just want to say, "thanks", for the blog site.

/tricia

Your welcome Tricia. I like it - as the woman lives in my area so her use of fresh, local food appeals to me. Lots of good home cooking - nothing too exotic as well as lots of ideas for cooking for a crowd.
J

I believe that searing does not really ''seal in'' juices. It browns the surface of the meat which creates additional flavor. The recipe mentioned looks like a typical slow braise. The meat and some liquid, in this case a sauce, and cooked in a tightly covered pot at a fairly low temperature for several hours. Same way you'd do coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, or other classic braises. The reason the meat stays moist is that the pot is lidded up, there is added liquid in the pot, and pork ribs have enough fat to stand up to long cooking anyway, plus the bone helps.

Myself, I brush the ribs with a sauce or glaze, roast uncovered but basting frequently, and at the end give them a bit of broiler.

John is correct. It has been shown many times that searing does not seal in juices. My unproven theory is that you actually lose more juice when you sear. Meat shrinks a lot more in high heat, but the high heat also evaporates the juices so you don't see what you have lost.

There are many "best" ways to make ribs. I don't have the patience to stew ribs for four hours. Beside, I enjoy BBQed ribs more.

After marinating overnight, I pressure steam (not boil) the ribs for 30 minutes. You don't lose any flavor by steaming.

Then with a generous coating of sauce brushed on, about 3 minutes each side on a high heat grill. The ribs always come out beautifully done.

dcarch

I have four "best ways" of making ribs. Just depends upon my mood which I use. One is really wet and slopppy, another is just glazed and sticky and two are dry with sauce on the side.

One is exactly as outlined in Toby's link except I use my homemade chili sauce and BBQ sauce half and half.

I also use the method Sue provided years ago. Salt and pepper the ribs wrap tightly in foil and cook at 250- 300 for two hours. Finish off on the grill with BBQ sauce.

Rub with homemade rub and cook in 250 oven or grill on low until meat pulls back from the bone. Sauce on the side.

Rub with homemade rub and cook low and slow in my smoker. Sauce on the Sidi

Other than stuffed baby back ribs , my favourite way to make ribs is on the grill. I don't find it necessary to boil or steam the ribs first. And because I don't like bbq sauces, I use a dry rub.

Dcarch, I had to smile at your comment - "I don't have the patience to stew ribs for four hours." I would think that your sous vide method would require a lot of patience.

Ann

Posted by ann_t " Other than stuffed baby back ribs , my favourite way to make ribs is on the grill. I don't find it necessary to boil or steam the ribs first. And because I don't like bbq sauces, I use a dry rub. Dcarch, I had to smile at your comment - "I don't have the patience to stew ribs for four hours." I would think that your sous vide method would require a lot of patience. Ann"

I agree that's counterintuitive. The fact is braising or stewing requires constant attention. You need to check the fire, the liquid level, etc. OTOH, for sous vide you just flip a switch and nothing can go wrong.

I agree with you grilled ribs with that smoky flavor is my preference. I am curious on how you can make the ribs tender if you don�t cook it for hours. Steaming in a PC is a short cut.

dcarch

I've cooked ribs lots of ways over the years, but the newest (and favorite) is to sear them in the oven 15 min on each side at 400 degrees (or use the grill) and then transfer them to the Nesco roaster, add whatever sauce you might like, and cook on a low temp for 3-4 hours. Tender, falling off the bone good.
:)

I don't sear mine to seal the juices I sear them to get the smoky flavor. I put them in the oven at 275 for a couple of hours and if they aren't beginning to pull back from the rib, I cook them another hour or so.

I guess we all have our ways of cooking and don't imagine one is better than the other, just whatever works for you! Or at least that is what I think.

I agree, there are lots of ways to cook ribs because there are different desired results.

There is the version with meat so wet and tender it is falling apart, just shy of being pull-able, sometimes with a lot of sauce - I think of that as the basic ''Q'ed'' rib.

There is the version that is smoky and drier, with some texture and a bit of ''tooth'' to the meat, as in you have to actually use your teeth - I think of that as the standard grilled or roasted rib.

There is the version that is chewier yet, with a lot of browning and crusting, even a bit of crispness, and a strong glaze, that may or may not be reddish - I think of that as a generic Asian street rib.

And so on.

Plus, there's different ways of cooking that, in the end, don't really make a big difference.

For example, searing a piece of meat that is then going to be submerged in a strong sauce and slow-cooked for many hours. I think if we did a blind taste test, we'd be hard-pressed to reliably identify the ribs that skipped the initial sear.

Posted by Dcarch: I agree with you grilled ribs with that smoky flavor is my preference. I am curious on how you can make the ribs tender if you don't cook it for hours. Steaming in a PC is a short cut.

Dcarch, baby back ribs cooked on the grill over indirect heat will be very tender usually within an hour. It is a meal that I often make on a work night. I'm not sure why or where the idea came from that baby back ribs have to be par boiled. steamed or precooked to be tender. It just isn't true.

Ann

No boiling ribs for me. (shudder) I sometimes will brown them a bit under the convection "broiler" (if you want to call it that) and then into the Nesco and slow cook for a few hours. In the oven sealed in foil if I'm making a lot. The browning is often skipped if I forget or am too lazy.

I've detailed before so I won't repeat everything but basically I like a dry rub with a little beer & hot sauce for moisture, cook till tender and enjoy. Sauce on the side if even used. I'll vary the rubs and liquids used depending on mood. A grill really isn't an option for me anymore or I'd likely use that often.