Juicy Tender Oven Roasted Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

(I am so excited that everyone LOVES this recipe so much! If you are looking for more great dinner recipes, make sure to check out my oven roasted chicken, grilled salmon with cucumber mango salsa, or these amazing pulled pork sandwiches!)


When Nate and I first got married, we lived in what was, quite possibly, the smallest apartment ever. Oh sure, the complex was well maintained and the management was nice, but the apartment itself was the size of a wallet, and the kitchen was so small that if Nate tried to wash a dish while I was stirring a pot we'd be rubbing our buns together in a backwards tango the whole time. There was so little space that I had to put a cutting board over the sink to have any prep space, and my crock pot lived permanently on the stove over a back burner. Which is how I accidentally set it on fire, by the way. Useful tip: Don't store anything flammable on top of a gas stove. You will set it on fire eventually. Really. I promise.

Anyway.




Of course there was nowhere in that teeny tiny apartment to put a grill. And although the apartment complex technically had a one, it took a fair stretch of the imagination to call the rusted lump of metal by the pool a "grill." I turned it on once and a sad little lick of flame flickered at the bottom of the grate, like a lone little candle. Hardly enough heat to melt some butter, let alone sear a steak.

All that is to say, some people, people like me, just don't have access to a grill. And the good news is, if you want to make some finger lickin', lip smackin' good ribs, you don't need one! In fact, when I make ribs, I still make them this way, even though I now live in a place with it's own backyard and a grill to boot. And honestly, it's mostly just because I am lazy. This way is SO easy. When I don't feel like fussing with charcoal and lighters and all the hoopla that goes with grilling, I'm glad I can throw this together in about 1.5 minutes, stick it in the oven, and forget about it. It makes for a great weekday barbecue and requires only a fraction of the work necessary to make ribs on a grill. I mean, it doesn't even get any dishes dirty. Also? Pork ribs are so cheap in the summer! Even thought I bought the *most* expensive type of ribs at my ghetto grocery store, this meal still only cost... $5.

So make 'em already!

Juicy Tender Oven Roasted Barbecue Baby Back Ribs
(try saying that 10 times fast!)

This recipe feeds two people, but is easily doubled or tripled or quadrupled or whatever. I always estimate 1 rack of ribs for 2 people - of course, that is because we always serve this with sides like potato salad or slaw. It's easy to double by just adding more racks of ribs to the foil packets.



Ingredients
1 rack baby back pork ribs (or other kinds, but baby back ribs are the most tender)
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
Classic Homemade Barbecue Sauce, or similar





Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 rack of baby back pork ribs on a large piece of foil.




Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place fat side up on the foil.




Cover ribs with a second piece of foil and fold each edge tightly so moisture is sealed in. Bake in preheated over for 1 hour.




Remove ribs from oven and unwrap foil.




Brush with Classic Homemade Barbecue Sauce, or similar and place fat side down. Return ribs to oven, foil still open. Cook 20 minutes.




Brush with barbecue sauce again, cut, and serve.

Enjoy!