How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Although ribs are often cooked on a grill, they can be very tasty, tender, and moist when cooked in an oven, and this can be done in spite of bad weather or regardless of the season.

Steps

1. Choose a rack or package of ribs that will yield the appropriate number of servings. Because much of the weight of ribs is bone and fat, this may be as much as one pound per hungry adult.
2. Prepare the ribs by seasoning them to your own liking. Garlic, pepper, salt, and meat tenderizer are pretty basic, but paprika, cheese, tumeric, and other spices can be used depending on taste.
3. Marinading the meat is optional, but this step will help tenderize beef ribs and provide additional moisture in the finished product if this is desired. There are commercially prepared marinades available, or Italian salad dressing can be used.
4. Place heavy duty aluminum foil in a rectangular metal baking pan, with enough hanging over the edges to fold over and cover the pan while the meat is cooking. Make sure to add lots of honey and until the ribs are dunked in it completely. The pan should have at least two inch sides, and be large enough for all the meat to fit in one layer. Stacking the meat will cause it to cook unevenly, and very thick layers may result in some of the meat not being cooked thoroughly.
5. Put enough water in the bottom of the pan to give it a depth of one fourth inch. The water will create steam to keep the meat moist, while keeping the bottom of the pan and foil from scorching. This also reduces the actual temperature in the tent you create with the foil.
6. Place the ribs in the pan with the arch of the ribs up. If you like, and the pan is large enough to allow it, you can add vegetables to cook with your ribs. Cut onions, carrots, and/or potatoes into large chunks, then place them in between and around the ribs in the pan.
7. Form a tent with your excess aluminum foil over the meat. You will not want to make this tent air tight, or the steam produced during cooking may burst it, but it should be tight enough to keep moisture in. Make sure the foil is loose enough it doesn't actually press against the meat while cooking.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees (F) for about an hour, with the ribs covered.
9. Remove the pan from the oven, and unfold the foil, then return to the oven, raise the temperature to 375 degrees and allow to cook 10 to 15 more minutes. This will allow the ribs to brown and will cook off some of the juices in the pan.
10. Remove and serve. If you have cooked vegetables in the pan with the ribs, they will have absorbed a lot of the flavor of the meat juices, and will be softer and more tender than you would normally be used to, so handle with care.

Tips

• You can use barbecue sauce, hickory smoke flavor, and other ingredients, either at the beginning of the cooking, or after the foil is removed from over the meat.
• Use a large pan, so that the contents are not crowded together. Heavy, rectangular aluminum cake pans work well with this technique.
• The meat should be well thawed before cooking and the oven should be preheated before placing the pan in it.
• You want to be sure the meat is well done, especially pork ribs, and frozen ribs or starting with a cold oven will slow cooking times.

Warnings

• Steam will accumulate in the aluminum foil tent while the meat is cooking, so be careful uncovering it for the final browning stage.

Things You'll Need

• A deep, rectangular (preferred) metal pan.
• Heavy duty aluminum foil.

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How to Braise Short Ribs

Braising short ribs is like enjoying a barbecue dinner year-round. Use the following cooking ideas to make a delicious dinner anytime.

Ingredients

• Beef short ribs
• Water
• Favorite barbecue sauce
• Nonstick cooking spray

Steps

1. Trim excess fat from ribs.
2. Place ribs in a large pot.
3. Cover with water.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat.
6. Simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
7. Remove ribs from pot.
8. Place on a broiler rack that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
9. Brush with barbecue sauce.
10. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until heated.

Tips

• Use a pressure cooker to speed the cooking time. Check a pressure cookbook for
• cooking times.
• You can use this same method of cooking the ribs in a large pot and then barbecuing them on the grill. Boiling the ribs first makes them tender and helps remove excess fat.

Warnings

• Use care when removing ribs from the broiler. The pan will be hot.

Things You'll Need

• Dutch oven or large pot
• Broiler pan
• Tongs

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How to Brine Meat

Brining meat before cooking yields a juicy and flavorful result. It's especially important for cooking white meats, which cannot be cooked to temperature (unlike red meats, which can be served rarer for a juicier result).

Steps

1. Prepare a mixture of three parts salt and one part sugar. The salt may be kosher or sea salt, and the sugar can be any white crystal sugar, but not 10X or confectioner's sugar.
2. Dissolve the sugar/salt mixture in four times the volume of water. The resulting liquid should be enough to comfortably cover the meat you wish to brine.
3. Add any flavorings you wish, especially sharp liquids (vinegars and citrus juices),whole seeds, or dried herbs and spices. Thicker liquids, such as honey, sauces, and oils, and fresh herbs will impart less flavor unless boiled (see Step 4).
4. If your brine is extensively flavored, or if you do not plan to brine the meat for long, consider bringing the mixture to a fast boil and cooling before starting the brine. Some meats, such as chicken and smaller poultry, cannot be brined long without breaking down. Boiling is especially effective for them.
5. Submerge the meat in brine and store it in a refrigerator or other cooler space. Cuts of pork, wild game, and larger poultry, such as turkey, can be brined anywhere from 4-12 hours; smaller cuts and birds should be brined for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Tips

• For small cuts, such as turkey or chicken breasts or pork tenderloins or chops, consider brining for as short as 45-90 minutes.
• Fatty meats like beef are generally not suitable for brining. Brining works best with pork, turkey and chicken.
• The best flavored brines are often the simplest. Citrus juice and dried mint will add a nice Mediterranean flavor to chicken, while cracked black pepper and red wine vinegar provide a rich French flair.
• The difference in tenderness of your meat will make even an unflavored brine well worth it.
• Keep a basic mixture of sugar and salt on hand in a resealable container.
• Adding liquid smoke to your brine mixture will give you a very nice faux barbecue flavor. This works great with chicken and pork.
• For an outstanding, flavored brine add a tablespoon each of cloves, star anise, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, as well as bay leaf and a cinnamon stick. Bring brine to boil and simmer for a half hour and let cool before adding meat.
• Replace all, or part of the sugar with honey or brown sugar.
• Always rinse your meat well and dry it well before cooking

Warnings

• Make sure to completely cool your heated brine before using.
• Watch your food closely while cooking it, especially if barbecuing or grilling it. Brining adds sugar to the meat and can cause it to burn prematurely.

Things You'll Need

• Meat
• Salt
• Sugar
• Water
• Optional flavorings: Citrus juice, dried herbs, spices, red wine vinegar, dried mint, cracked black pepper, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, mustard seed, coriander seed, Cajun seasoning. Whatever flavor you add to a brine will permeate the meat.
• Refrigerator

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