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Divas Easy BBQ Ribs

Master the Easy Art of Mouthwatering Ribs: Diva’s Fast & Easy BBQ Recipe

Two slabs of BBQ pork ribs with sauce on a while plate.

Smokey, sticky, tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs are always a crowd pleaser. They’re affordable and frequently on sale making them genuinely inexpensive.  There are dozens of ways to prepare Easy BBQ Ribs and each cook has their personal preference.

Now, I won’t claim to possess the culinary secrets of the universe, but I do have a trick up my sleeve that guarantees delectable, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs – simply simmer, then sizzle.

When I want fast and simple perfection; I simmer them first then finish them on the grill. I find this to be the easiest, quickest and most goof proof method to prepare killer ribs, every time.

Simmering the ribs allows all the connective tissue to soften into juicy melt-in-your-mouth goodness in a fraction of the time it’d take to bake, or smoke or grill alone.

In an ideal world I would always cook my ribs low and slow. On average, it takes six hours to completely cook ribs to their succulent finest using a low and slow method. That’s great if you have the time and inclination. But simmering ribs takes under two hours from start to table. See? Fast and easy.

Nibbles of Knowledge: Exploring Rib Varieties and Cuts

There are three main cuts of ribs: spareribs, baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs.

Spareribs are the largest of the three, cut from the bottom portion of the ribs, it’s prepared with the rib tips attached and is wider than the other cuts. They have less meat to bone ratio but are more flavorful because of a better mix of meat, bone, and fat.

Baby back ribs are cut from the upper portion of the rib cage and are meatier, but also smaller and more expensive.

St. Louis style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed of the rib tips and are closer in width to baby backs. The great price point makes St. Louis style ribs my cut of choice for this quick and easy purpose.

 

Peeling Back the Secrets: The Silver Skin Membrane’s Hidden Role in Perfect Ribs

Ribs have a thin silvery membrane, colloquially called the “silver skin”, on the bone side of the slab that should be removed. It cooks up tough and nearly impossible to chew, so it must go. Start at one end of the rib and use a knife to loosen the end of the membrane on a bone, then use a paper towel over your fingertips to hold the darned slippery thing as you peel it off completely.

 

The Secret to Irresistible easy BBQ Ribs – Simmer then Sizzle

In the recipe below, we simmer the ribs before finishing on the grill. I recommend this for two reasons: tenderness and time. Simmering the ribs allows all the connective tissue to soften into juicy melt-in-your-mouth goodness in a fraction of the time it’d take to bake, smoke or grill alone. On average, it takes six hours to completely cook ribs using a low and slow method. That’s great if you have the time and inclination. Simmering ribs takes under two hours from start to table.

DIVA’S EASY BBQ RIBS

Yield: 6 to 8 servings Time: 90 minutes

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 slabs St. Louis Style Ribs
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Your favorite dry rub* or see recipe below
  • Your favorite BBQ sauce *or see recipe below

Here’s How:

Place ribs in a stock pot and cover with water. Add one tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to LOW, cover the pot with a lid and simmer gently for 40 to 45 minutes or until the meat becomes tender, but not falling off the bone. This preliminary step paves the way for a tender and melt-in-your-mouth experience. When done, drain and place ribs on a platter to rest. Discard the gross rib water.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season the simmered ribs liberally with BBQ rub. Alternatively, you can combine equal parts kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to season the ribs. Brush on a light coat of BBQ sauce and place ribs on the grill. Grill the ribs, basting with additional sauce and turning frequently, for 15 minutes, or until caramelized and browned.

Awesome Dry Rub for Ribs

Yield:1 cup Time: 5 minutes

What You’ll Need:

  • 6 tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder

Here’s How:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. To use; sprinkle evenly on ribs, gently press so it sticks, before grilling.

Awesome Sauce for Ribs

Yield:1 ¼ cups Time: 5 minutes

What You’ll Need:

  • ½ stick unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon molasses, and
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

 

Here’s How:

In a saucepan on low heat; combine butter, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, and apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir together until it’s bubbling perfection in a pan.

 

And since we’ve got the BBQ vibes going strong, why not take the celebration a step further? Grill some corn on the cob, whip up coleslaw, and declare yourself the ruler of ribs!

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Two slabs of BBQ pork ribs with sauce on a while plate.

DIVAS EASY BBQ RIBS

Guaranteed delectable, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs that you easily simmer, then sizzle on the grill.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
BBQ or Grill 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, BBQ
Servings 8 servings
Calories 159 kcal

Equipment

  • BBQ or grill

Ingredients
  

For the Ribs

  • 2 slabs St. Louis Style Ribs
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup your favorite dry rub* or see recipe below
  • 1 ¼ cup your favorite BBQ sauce*or see recipe below

Instructions
 

  • Place ribs in a stock pot and cover with water. Add one tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer.
  • Cover pot with heat on LOW and simmer gently for 40 to 45minutes or until the meat becomes tender and begins pulling away from the bone.
  • When done, drain and place ribs on a platter to rest.
  • Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
  • Season the ribs liberally with BBQ rub, your favorite, or the recipe below.
  • Brush on a light coat of BBQ sauce and place ribs on the grill.
  • Grill the ribs, basting with additional sauce and turning frequently, for 15 minutes, or until caramelized and browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 1351mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Father's Day, Game Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Pork, Summer
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

A jar of dry spice rub for ribs.

AWESOME DRY RUB FOR RIBS

Super quick and easy dry rub to season BBQ ribs.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine BBQ
Servings 8 servings
Calories 52 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use to season BBQ pork ribs.

Nutrition

Calories: 52kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1750mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1305IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Condiments, Pork
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

A small bowl of thick rich tomato based BBQ sauce.

AWESOME SAUCE FOR RIBS

Quick and easy delectable sauce for BBQ ribs.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine American, BBQ
Servings 8 servings
Calories 128 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ounces butter 1/2 of a stick
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan on low, combine all ingredients. Stir together and heat until bubbling. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Take over the world one saucy rib at a time.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 0.3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 214mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 256IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword Condiments, Pork
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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