The secret of Fall Off the Bone Ribs is the cooking technique. This is a hands down no-fail recipe that is wonderfully juicy and Fall Off the Bone perfect every time.
I love barbecue. Especially barbecued ribs. But the truth is, I’ve never been able to get my grilled ribs as tender as I like.
I think the closest to perfect ribs I’ve ever had was at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Tennessee.
There was a gentleman there named Jimmy and he was cooking up a mess of ribs. And the fabulous smell alone just made you hungry. People were lined up 20 deep just waiting for those ribs to come off the grill.
Once you were lucky enough to get your plate and took your first bite, well you finally understood what fabulous Southern Barbecue was all about.
Those ribs were smoky and juicy and darn near perfect. Jimmy added a little coleslaw and potato salad on the side, but the star of the show definitely were those ribs.
I’ve tried to duplicate them, but never really could. Until now. Recently I made Roasted Brisket that was amazingly pull apart tender, so I wondered if I could use that same technique on Pork spareribs. And they turned out perfectly.
Not quite Jimmy’s but nevertheless fabulous.
No barbecue or smoker needed. It’s actually so simple to do and it just begins with a dry rub.
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Ingredients for Fall off the Bone Ribs
- Pork ribs: The Star of the Show
- Olive oil: For moisture and flavor
- Paul Prudhomme Magic Seasoning, Salt free: For the real touch of the South
- Paul Prudhomme Magic Barbecue Seasoning: Ditto
- Smoked Paprika: For smoky flavor
- Hickory Smoke Powder: It’s like you’re cooking those ribs over Hickory Logs
How to Make Fall off the Bone Ribs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
I always begin with washing the ribs and patting them dry with paper towels. I do that with all my meat, seafood and vegetables actually. It’s just a habit I’ve had for years.
It actually started when I was 20 and just getting into cooking. I had dated a guy whose father owned a chicken farm. He said whatever you do be sure and wash all chicken before you cook it.
So I figured he knew what he was talking about and I have faithfully done that.
So, back to the these wonderful ribs
Next pull out a long sheet of heavy duty foil and lay it on counter.
Then pull out another equally long sheet of foil and add it to the top of the previous foil in the opposite direction. It will look like a big plus sign.
Then lay the ribs on the foil and brush olive oil over both sides.
In a small bowl mix together the salt free Magic Seasoning, the Magic Barbecue Seasoning , Smoked Paprika and the Smoked Hickory Powder.
Normally you can find these seasonings in your local market.
I’m really a fan of Chef Paul Prudhomme. I’ve talked about him before in my Lite Shrimp Gumbo recipe. He was an amazing Southern Chef and created an entire line of fabulous spices.
Yes, you could add your own individual spices to this recipe, but to get the flavor just right you would need to add 20 spices to equal his perfect combination.
So in this recipe I defer to Chef Paul’s expertise with his Magic Seasoning.
Plus for a little lower sodium, I combined that with his Magic Seasoning, Salt Free.
At this point just sprinkle the combined spices evenly over both side of the ribs.
Then the magic begins. Just wrap the ribs tightly in the foil – length wise and width wise and seal the package tightly.
That’s the real secret of these wonderful ribs.
Then place the foil package in an oven proof pan and bake the ribs for 3 hours. Your kitchen will smell fabulous.
When time is up, unwrap the smoky ribs and place them on a serving dish along with the accumulated juices.
You’ll find that you don’t even need a knife to separate them. Two forks can easily separate them or you can just pull them apart with your perfectly clean hands.
Serve them as is because the flavor is fabulous. Or if you prefer add a touch of your favorite barbecue sauce.
Then for clean up, just throw away the foil. It can’t get any simpler.
I think even Jimmy would like these ribs. And with his spices, I know Chef Paul would.
Fall Off the Bone Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Lean Pork ribs
- 1 Tsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tsp Magic Seasoning, salt free Paul Prudhomme
- 3/4 Tsp Magic Seasoning Paul Prudhomme
- 1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Hickory Smoked Powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
- Brush olive oil on both sides of ribs.
- In a small dish, mix together the salt free Magic Seasoning, the Magic Seasoning, Smoked Paprika and the Smoked Hickory Powder. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the ribs.
- Wrap ribs in heavy duty foil and seal tightly.
- Place the foil package in a baking dish or pan and bake for 3 hours.
- Serve as is or with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Nutrition
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