So this week, I channelled my inner Michael Scott and decided that I needed to get my hands on some baby back ribs. The only problem was that I had never made ribs before and it was -40 degrees outside so barbequing was not an option. I thought I was out of luck until I stumbled across a YouTube video (embedded below) outlining how to make the perfect, oven-baked baby back ribs. I followed the directions almost exactly and they turned out great. To go with the ribs, I looked around online for salad recipes until one caught my eye: dill pickle pasta salad.
Ribs are one of my favourite foods, but I was always too scared to try and make them. Combine that with the fact that ribs in a restaurant usually start around $25, I almost never got the opportunity to eat them, but that will change going forward. These ribs were incredibly easy to make and they turned out better than ribs I’ve had in a restaurant. The first step was to buy the ribs. I found 2 racks at my local co-op for a total of $15 which is much cheaper than ribs at a restaurant. Then it was time to season the meat. If I have learned anything by doing this learning project, it is the emphasis on properly seasoning your food. Every instructional video I have watched mentions how most people under season which causes food to taste bland. I didn’t have the exact seasoning that was used in the video, but I decided to just experiment. I used salt, pepper, roasted garlic, paprika, steak spice, and seasoning salt.
It was then time to cook the ribs. I covered the ribs in tinfoil and cooked them for 3.5 hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the only downside to doing ribs in the oven compared to the BBQ. Most people get home from work around 5-6 in the evening and would not want to wait four hours for their dinner to cook. Luckily, I am home all day and was able to put them in the oven at 2 o’clock. After the 3 and a half hours were up, it was time to add the sauce. I used my favourite bbq sauce “Sweet Baby Ray’s” (if you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it). If I hadn’t watched the video, I would have just drizzled the sauce on the ribs and then served them, but because of the video, I discovered the benefits of the broil setting. I put the sauce on the ribs and then broiled them for 5 minutes until the sauce started to bubble. The five-minute broil baked the sauce onto the ribs and gave them a nice, crispy texture.
Overall, I think YouTube is a great way to learn a new skill. It is one thing to read about how to do something new, but it is another thing to be able to learn by watching. I would, however, like to expand my learning and try out different online resources. If anyone has any resource recommendations, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
This week’s ratings:
Tammy: Ribs 10/10, Salad 10/10
Duane: Ribs 10/10, Salad 8/10
Danica: Ribs 10/10, Salad 7/10
Me: Ribs 8/10, Salad 7/10
Overall: 8.75/10
Any recommendations on what I should cook next week?
8 Comments
Payge Langmo
Branden, those look amazing!!! Ribs are definitely one of my all time favourites and it’s interesting to find out other ways to make them than barbecuing! I really liked that you added ratings from everyone who tried them! Seeing the ratings for the ribs is definitely making me want to try this out! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to see what you make next!!! (Maybe something with chicken perhaps?)
bsa898
Hey Payge,
Thanks for the comment! I highly recommend trying this out; it was incredibly easy to make and they were really good! The first thing I actually made for this learning project was a chicken stir-fry and you can read about it here: https://edusites.uregina.ca/brandensmith/2021/02/02/cooking-with-branden/
Thanks for reading!
-Branden
Shana Blenkin
YUM! I enjoyed reading your post and now I really want ribs!! Ribs are probably also my favourite! It is KEY to remove the membrane!! I will attach a picture on your Twitter comment my favorite rib rub, but you could use it for almost any meat I would think! Sweet baby rays bbq sauce is also a staple in our house! Do you have smoker? Smoked ribs are top notch!
Nikki Cairns
Hi Branden,
The ribs you made looked delicious. One benefit to not being able to do much is having the time to be able to cook things like ribs which do take a long time. I appreciate that you shared the recipe for the pasta salad as well. I think I’m going to save it and give it a try as well. As for a suggestion, I tried these Sheet Pan Steaks and Fries, they were easy to make and delicious. Here’s the link: https://damndelicious.net/2017/03/04/sheet-pan-steak-and-fries/
Melina Palamara
Hi Branden,
These ribs look super tasty!! I enjoyed your post and now I am very hungry! Ribs are also one of my favourites to eat but never knew how to cook them. Keep up the good work!
Callen Boutin
Hey Branden,
I baked a loaf of banana bread a few days ago after seeing someone’s cooking post; now your post is making me want to cook up some ribs! Awesome job man, I really enjoy the summary of ratings at the end of your post.
P.S: Sweet baby ray’s is great, but Bull’s Eye Guinness BBQ sauce reigns supreme!
Jesse Braden
Hey Branden,
I really enyoyed reading your post. I love how you brought out your inner Micheal Scott. Now I have that song stuck in my head. Ribs are probably in my top three foods and could even be my number but I would agree that they are usually a rare treat. The finished product looks amazing and so delicious. I woud definatley recommend all Bow Valley BBQ products and recipes but especially the rib recipe. https://bowvalleybbq.com/blogs/recipes/bbq-pork-ribs
Janelle Boutin
Hey Branden!
Loved the video from The Office at the start of this post! I prefer cooking ribs on a BBQ too, but low and slow in the oven is another great alternative! Ribs looked great!