You Know Who Makes the Best Ribs???

One of my biggest fears in cooking is when someone is eating something I made, and while they are eating it, they say, "you know who makes the best (insert food they are eating here)?? Billy. He makes the best (whatever)! You should get his recipe!". UGH! I cringe at the thought. If I have made my own pasta sauce, they say, "You know who makes AMAZING pasta sauce is Carol! You should really try hers!" Chomp chomp as she chews on my now mediocre sauce. Not only are they not concentrating on MY food, they are insulting it at the same time! And like as if I really made something bad that I would just go ahead and call up Billy or Carol or whoever and tell him I failed and ask him for his recipe so I don't have to fix mine. Right.

For whatever reason, I feel like this feared saying is always used when talking about ribs. Baby-back ribs. I don't know why, but everyone has a a family member, or a buddy, or someone they know, who makes "the best ribs". Who are these people?! And do they all have the same secret recipe for ribs? How do I get it?

There are a million recipes and ways to cook ribs. Literally. I checked. I am not easily intimidated by food and rise to every cooking challenge I have been given (worst so far was the whole chicken, for sure). So I have been avoiding ribs to this day. I've been able to get away with it too, so far, until I met James. My husband LOVES ribs. And everything BBQ for that matter. So, I am already impressed I have been able to make it 3 years without having to make ribs, but the comments were getting worse and worse....

"When are you going to make ribs?"
"Pete makes really good ribs, just get his recipe."
"Why are you so scared? I LOVE ribs."
"You should do them on the grill because I like a little char."
"When are you going to make ribs."
"Ben can help you make ribs."

OMG!!! Enough already! I can't take these comments anymore! I'll make you your damn ribs, now shut the h-ll up!

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 9
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4 (shocking, I know)

Abby's BBQ Baby-Back Ribs
1/4 cup celery salt
3 Tbl paprika
3 Tbl dried garlic flakes
1.5 Tbl fresh ground black pepper
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1 rack of baby back pork ribs


Combine the celery salt, paprika, garlic flakes, and pepper in a bowl and mix together. Take ribs out, pat dry, and rub on the mixture to all sides of the ribs. Cover and refrigerate over-night. Take ribs out the next day, and cut the rack into 3-4 sections. Take a piece of tinfoil, large enough to wrap a section of ribs in, and spray with non-stick spray. Place one section of ribs on it, and brush heavily with BBQ sauce (all sides). Wrap the ribs tightly in tinfoil. Repeat with each section of ribs. Place tinfoil packets into fridge and keep there all day (ideal time 6-8 hours). 


Preheat oven to 300 deg. Take packets out of refrigerator, place into oven, and cook for 3 to 3.5 hours (depending on how thick they are). Take out of tin foil, serve.


* Optional: if want slight char on ribs, take ribs out of oven, and then out of tinfoil, and place on baking sheet, brush with additional sauce, and place under broiler or on grill for 3-5 minutes (be careful not to let sauce burn), or until start to bubble slightly. Take out and serve.




You know who makes the best ribs? I do, b-tches! That's right. I conquered the ribs, and they were wonderful! I don't know why I was so scared. Actually, I just felt a whole lot of pressure because everyone who likes ribs, will be comparing them to their favorite, which are always "the best ribs ever". But these really were the best ribs I have ever had, except perhaps the ones that Outback Steakhouse. Those things must have crack in them or something. 


Abby 1, Billy/Carol: 0


Ha!