Scott and I love ribs and great barbecue is tops on our list of favorite eats.

When we made our travel across the country earlier this year, stopping for barbecue was on our “must do” list. And we succeed in finding some top eats!

I currently don’t have a smoker and do not have the know-how to turn my grill into a smoker at this point.  Eventually I want to learn how to smoke meats and try my hand at some pork!

For now I go with the braising method of cooking ribs; low and slow in the oven with just a little bit of liquid.

I started off following Alton’s method for ribs but have since moved to my own method.  It works for now and produces juicy ribs that satisfy the craving for a little bbq rib action.

Here’s how I approach braising ribs:

Andrea’s Braised Pork Ribs

• 1 slab of ribs cut in half
• 1-1 1/2 C Dark or Pilsner Style Beer
• Foil or metal cooling racks
• Large baking dish or roasting pan

Prep your ribs using a dry rub.  I prefer a good 12-24 hours for the rub to be on the ribs.  Store the ribs in the fridge and pull them out at least 15 minutes before putting them in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

You need to elevate the ribs in the baking dish/roasting pan.  You can do this either with metal cooling racks or the rack that came with your roasting pan.

If you have neither of those, you can roll up foil lengthwise, making what looks like a foil log.  Lay three to four foil logs in the baking dish/roasting pan and place the ribs on top of the foil. Click on the first picture to see an example of this.

Pour the beer in the bottom of the baking dish.  Cover the ribs with more foil and poke a few holes into the foil to allow steam to escape.

Place in oven and cook covered for about 45 minutes.  Remove cover, check on ribs.  The should be looking almost cooked through.  Cook uncovered for about 10 -15 minutes.

It really doesn’t take long for ribs to cook through.  You can use a meat thermometer to double check for doneness.

Brush with your favorite bbq sauce or put some out and let everyone add it themselves!

We recently had ribs with the hatch green chili barbecue sauce but if you’re looking for sauce with a little something extra, I’ve got a bourbon barbecue sauce as well.

I’ve got a great coffee and cocoa dry rub recipe that would be perfect for the ribs.

So far this method is working well and I can quickly whip up some ribs when the mood strikes.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!