Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs

This is, hands down, the best way to make ribs.  They are flavorful, juicy on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside, and so tender that they literally fall of the bone.  With this method they turn out perfectly every time.  I learned this method from a fellow foodie and awesome cook in Michigan.

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

Ingredients:

Pork spare ribs

Your favorite bbq rub (or try mine)

Barbecue sauce, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250°.  Lay each rack of ribs on a large square of heavy-duty foil.  Season ribs on both sides with desired amount of barbecue rub.  Wrap ribs up in the foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake ribs for 2½ to 3 hours. 

Meanwhile, start up outdoor grill for high heat.  When ribs are done baking, unwrap them and place them on the grill.  You can slather them with barbecue sauce if you like.  Grill them just a few minutes on each side, or until the edges get crispy.

Enjoy!

Makes as many servings as you like.

The ribs with their bbq rub.  For these ribs I used Penzey's BBQ 3000 rub, but I don't like it as much as my homemade Smoky Barbecue Rub.

 Then wrap those babies up in foil.  You definitely want to use a baking sheet with a rim on it, as the ribs will release quite a bit of liquid.  I heard someone say once that they always add liquid when they bake ribs, but there is absolutely no need. 

 Aren't they gorgeous?  I actually don't use barbecue sauce on mine; I love them just with the dry rub.  We grill them without sauce, then my husband puts a little bit on his at the table.  

I made these ribs for my daughter's birthday party last month and they were a big hit.  I didn't put quantities in the recipe because you can use this method no matter how many ribs you need.  At my daughter's party, I made enough for 6 adults and 6 kids.  Earlier this week, I did just enough for the 4 of us.  

So stock up on ribs when you see them on sale this summer.  They would still be good without the grilling at the end, so you can throw some in the freezer for a little taste of summer on a cold winter's day.