Dear Alton Brown,
Thank you for teaching me a lot of what I know in the kitchen and for being the ultimate guru to all of us food nerds. I postponed making my rib video because I think I felt badly telling the world that I had proven you wrong about ribs. Don’t fret master. It’s just ribs. You are still right about everything else! Love, Claudia
Dear Friends,
I may have told you once or a thousand times that I have a technique for making perfect, fall of the bone, moist and insanely delicious baby back ribs in one hour and 40 minutes. I can’t say that I invented the technique, but I didn’t learn it from anyone else. During my stint in culinary school, I had to develop a recipe and I decided to challenge Alton Brown’s rule that you could not make great ribs in under 2.5 hours. I will include the written directions, but if you are like me, seeing is believing. Plus, the video is just more fun. If you dig the video, please share it with any and all of your pork-loving friends and spread this baby like wildfire so that there is a miraculous chance that the Guru himself might actually see it. In the video I quoted Alton as saying that you can’t make tender ribs in under 3 hours, when I believe he actually said 2.5 hours, but either way, he aint right.
YOU WILL NEED:
Baby back ribs ( I usually make two racks. If you are going to the trouble, you might as well make two. Costco and Trader Joe’s have good deals.)
Purity Organics Citrus Passion Juice – or pineapple juice. Water and chicken broth don’t do much for pork.
Aluminum foil: use the light gauge even though you will be tempted to use the heavy because it comes in a larger size.
Dry seasoning: I feel that dry herbs and spices work better with the steaming/braising method, but you may use whatever rub or marinade you would like. My simple dry rub recipe is on the video.
Sheet pan: one inch deep.
HOW TO:
Pre-heat your oven to 350
Cut rack of ribs in half
Take two pieces of foil just over the length of a cookie sheet and join them to make one big piece..
Lay inside of the cookie sheet so that the edges extend over the cookie sheet.. press to make flat.
Pour about 1/2 inch of liquid… pineapple juice or chick stock on the bottom.
( juice complements pork better than chick stock and water does nothing for flavor )
Season your ribs with plenty of sea salt or kosher salt -Apply your dry rub on both sides. See video for my recipe.
Lay ribs in cookie sheet bone side down. See video.
Repeat step with foil, cover and crimp edges tightly to make a pouch.
Cook ribs at 350 for 1 hour 40 minutes. Do not open oven.
If you live at a high altitude and you don’t smell ribs after the allotted time, leave in for 10 minute increments until you do.
BE CAREFUL WHEN OPENING FOIL POUCH. THERE IS HOT STEAM.
Open foil, slather with your favorite bbq sauce and either BROIL for 5 minutes or throw on the grill.
(watch your ribs carefully when they are in the broiler. BBQ sauce contains a lot of sugar and can burn quickly.)
Too cute, so good, looks great and so much fun – and that goes for both the food and you! love it and you bet we will be testing it out in our kitchen! Great job!
I may try this when you visit but I know they won’t come out as great as these on the video. Wonderful recipe Claudia.
You have style and grace and know how to cook. Camille
Making these thsi weekend for family and friends. I think I’ll use the broth for Risotto. I can’t wait.