Barbecue pork ribs are one of the easiest recipes to make, but not everyone gets them right. This is because there are many tricks that can be used to get them just right. Barbecued pork ribs are a typical American dish, but you can also prepare them at home and get great results.

How to make the perfect barbecued pork ribs?

Barbecued ribs, far from being a "junk" food dish, have great nutritional value. For example, they are very rich in minerals such as iron and zinc; these contribute to improving the immune system. In addition, ribs have high levels of vitamin B1, which is good for combating stress and depression.

The recipe for BBQ ribs varies considerably, as it is a dish of American origin, it can change and adapt to the place where it is prepared. Whatever the recipe and the formula you use to prepare the ribs at home, you should know that the secret for these BBQ ribs to be delicious lies in the cooking time.

Therefore, although the recipe is incredibly easy, it is somewhat laborious. A good rack of ribs is not done in an hour or two. It takes three to four hours. Ideally, the ribs should be cooked very slowly and at a specific temperature. Some recommend having the oven at 120 degrees and cooking for at least three hours. But you can't overdo it either, because then the meat will burn.

This is where the trick to cooking BBQ ribs lies, in the type of oven. The heat must be up and down and, after the first hours of cooking, it is important to take care of the ribs. It also depends on the power of the oven. How do you know if the ribs are ready? It is very simple, as the meat should be easily removable from the bone.

Cooking

In addition to the cooking time, which undoubtedly plays an important role for good ribs, you also need proper preparation. The ribs should be placed, alternating the top and bottom parts of the oven, at 120 degrees, for three hours or more. For the ribs to be extra delicious, you must cook them with aluminum foil for at least an hour and a half of this time.

To do this, you should put the ribs in the oven tray or container and cover them with aluminum foil. After the first hour and a half, remove the foil. But that's not all: it is important to add the barbecue sauce in the last ten minutes of cooking, while the oven is still on. Adding the sauce while the ribs are still cooking allows the ribs to soak up the full flavor. When the last ten minutes have elapsed and while you are preparing the dishes, garnish or setting the table, it is advisable to leave the tray with the ribs in the oven with it turned off.

Precooking the ribs?

One of the culinary secrets, when it comes to cooking barbecued pork ribs, is to pre-cook the meat before putting it in the oven. This is another step that is not included in the time the ribs should be in the oven. That is to say, the first thing you should do, after cleaning them, is to boil them until the meat is tender. How long? About 40 to 45 minutes. This is a step that not everyone does and that you can omit if you wish.

Why skip it? Because it would reduce the time the meat spends on the grill. Instead of three hours, you might need ten minutes per side. It all depends on the consistency you want to achieve.

When the meat is ready, it is time to put it in the oven or on the grill. Some people prefer to marinate the ribs at this point with the barbecue sauce, but it is preferable that the meat is done in its own juices and with the spices and oil.

Post-cooking

If you prepared the meat in the oven, it is advisable, after turning the oven off, to wrap it in aluminum foil and let it rest for five minutes. Remember that you will have added the sauce ten minutes before the end of the three hours. The best option is not to remove the tray or the meat from the oven, but to cover it there and then with the aluminum foil while the oven is turned off. To cover the meat, you will have to make small holes in the paper; this allows the meat to finish tenderizing and to get impregnated with the barbecue sauce.

The secret is in the sauce

The barbecue sauce is fundamental for a good barbecue rib. It is prepared with ketchup, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, spices, etc. The sauce is characterized by being sticky and sweet with a salty, spicy touch... But there is a secret ingredient that is added in the United States to achieve a unique flavor: root beer, but in its non-alcoholic version.

Root beer is characterized by being blue in color and somewhat sweet. This is the Americans' best-kept secret to preparing heart-stopping BBQ ribs.