One of the many things we miss during the dreadful Winter months is delicious barbecued food. However, there are a few recipes we can make in the oven that come close to barbecue (and help us fight that craving & longing for summer barbecue). Ribs are definitely part of that menu.

Pork ribs are fatty, messy, hard to cook, hard to eat, and altogether wonderful. When cooked properly, the fat and cartilage around and between the ribs breaks down and softens, making the ribs incredibly tender and succulent. While roasting is not the same as barbecue, it will be a good option.

In order to make ribs in the oven, you’ll need a rack of ribs, rib rub, barbecue sauce, a large cooking tray, a cooling rack, and an aluminum foil. o get the pork ribs to cook evenly, the rack needs to be uniform from end-to-end. (Just let us know you want to roast the in the oven, and cut and prepare them for you).

Next step should be giving the ribs some flavour. You guessed it! A good rub is the secret to that. A combination of salt, sugar, and spices that not only flavours the ribs but also helps to create a crusty surface that will give the ribs the texture you’re looking for. Tip to remember: apply a good coating of the rub to cover them. This rub will help start the crusting process.

Another important tip: the ribs need to be elevated to cook – that is, the air needs to flow over and under the meat -, to avoid flipping and turning them while they’re cooking. You can broil them for a few minutes (but be careful not to burn them). Bake at low temperature (250 F). Half the time, the ribs will be uncovered. At the midpoint of cooking, cover the ribs with a sheet of aluminum foil; they don’t need to be wrapped tightly, just covered and tucked around the edges. 

Once they done, add some barbecue sauce – to give that Summer flavour to them! Remove the ribs from the oven and thickly brush the sauce over both sides of the ribs. Make sure to get it everywhere. Then, return the ribs, uncovered, to the oven to bake the sauce in. This step can be repeated several times to layer the sauce and to create a sticky, messy rib that everyone will enjoy. Once this process is done, cut the ribs and serve! Enjoy!