my muffin thursdays

For many/most of us, summer inspires ideas of suntans, swimming pools, watermelon, popsicles, and grilled food.

Oh, dolly, do I love grilled food.

The only problem with that is that...well, we don't have a grill. So, I've been enjoying it vicariously through all the savory grilled goodness on foodgawker, but Michael and I decided we just couldn't take it anymore, and the poor red-meat-deprived boy needed some red meat.

Thus was born the ribs idea.

The question is...how to cook ribs without a grill? I tried oven-baking and the ribs were tough and dry. It was very disappointing.

Well, I figured it out... slow-cooking and broiling. Slow-cooking to get that delicious, fall-off-the-bone texture and broiling to get that oh-my-goodness-this-sauce-is-delicious texture on top.
This method = no dryness. Just sweet goodness in your mouth.


Ribs Without a Grill
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 rack baby back ribs (you can use loin-back ribs, etc.)
1/2-1 bottle your favorite bbq sauce
optional: bbq dry rub

Directions:
Remove the silver skin on the back side of the ribs using a sharp knife. (The first layer is the most important.) If using a dry rub, pat ribs dry and coat with dry rub. Let rest at room temperature 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Slice into manageable sections (we did 3-4 ribs per section) and place in a slow cooker and coat with bbq sauce.

Cook on low 7-8 hours. Place on a baking sheet coated with foil. Brush with additional sauce if they look a bit dry. Broil in the oven 5-7 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and a bit thickened.

Makes 4-5 servings.