“What’s for dinner tonight?”
There are some days when I hate those words. It’s not that I mind cooking; it’s trying to figure out what to cook. Some days it’s easy. I know exactly what sounds yummy. Other days—well, they are another story.
Can anyone relate? Do you ever have days when you just don’t feel like preparing or eating the same old thing? You’re tired of the same old chicken and hamburger meals and you want to try something different, maybe even a little saucy. Of course, you want it to be easy to prepare and something your kids will enjoy.
If you find yourself having this type of day, I hope this month’s recipe will help. It’s my simple recipe for Oven-Roasted BBQ Spareribs. Covered in sweet, homemade BBQ sauce these ribs would make a great meal on a busy evening or a lazy Sunday afternoon. They’re finger lickin’ good. Here’s the recipe.
Oven-Roasted BBQ Spareribs
1. Start with lean, boneless country-style spareribs. The quantity will depend on how many people you are feeding. I would suggest 1 pound of spareribs for every 2-3 people.
2. Wash each sparerib and place in a glass baking dish. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ½ inch of water.
3. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over the spareribs. Then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
4. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
5. At the end of the hour, turn the spareribs to the other side. Check to make sure there is still water in the bottom of the pan. If not, add a little bit. Re-cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for another hour.
6. Now it’s time to prepare your BBQ sauce. The recipe is simple:
Adessa's Homemade BBQ SAUCE
Mix together:
1 cup ketchup 2 heaping tablespoons molasses
½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
You can alter this recipe to your taste. If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar. If you like it tangier, add more mustard. For a hotter sauce add pepper, and for a darker, richer sauce add more molasses. Add additional ingredients a little at a time and taste with each addition. Place any leftover sauce in the refrigerator in a plastic container.
7. After the spareribs have cooked for the second hour, remove the aluminum foil. Then cover each rib with the BBQ sauce and let bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
8. At the end of that time, flip the spareribs and cover the other side with BBQ sauce. Again, place back into the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Do not add water to the bottom of the pan during this process. You want the BBQ sauce to caramelize and thicken in the oven.
Now all that’s left is to take the spare ribs out of the oven and serve them. You can add more BBQ sauce at this time, but I prefer to let people help themselves to any extra sauce if they desire to do so.
What do you serve with BBQ spareribs? Personally, I serve oven-baked potatoes (you can put them in the oven about 15 minutes before you start adding the BBQ sauce) and a steamed vegetable or tossed salad. These items are easy to make and they allow the ribs to be the star of the show. Since they are so simple to make, you can join in the family fun rather than spend all of your time in the kitchen.
Of course, the most important thing to serve with BBQ Spareribs is lots of napkins! That’s all you need to make this meal your whole family will enjoy.
