Did you ever notice how many different ways there are to cook barbecue ribs? After doing a little research in my cookbook library, I was amazed at the number of techniques, marinades, mops, sops, bastes, brines you can use to prepare the perfect rib. Once again it shows me, there is no ONE perfect way to cook anything. It really depends on what you like and your personal tastes.

I picked up a package of ribs at Costco to split with my friend Barbecue Bob. Bob is a real grilling aficionado. In fact, it is because of him that I purchased my Weber Charcoal Grill and I love every minute of it.

Now Barbecue Bob likes to slow cook his ribs but like the rest of us, when in a hurry, he will take a shortcut or two. This barbecue baby back ribs recipe came from his wife Bert, (that’s right Robert and Roberta) who lets just say doesn’t enjoy spending too much time in the kitchen, but has mastered a quick and easy way to make barbecued ribs without a grill.

Now for all you barbecue purists out there, stop reading. You will be horrified, dismayed, upset, and maybe even angry at how Barbecue Bob’s wife, Bert, prepares her ribs. The bottom line is they taste fine and are ready in 70 minutes without any real fuss.

So the other day, Bert was dropping off the kids from camp and I wanted to give her Barbecue Bob’s half of the ribs. I asked her about her technique for preparing barbecued baby backed ribs and she said, “Let me just show you!”

So instead of giving her Barbecue Bob’s half of the ribs I said let’s just cook them all up and have you over for dinner. So that’s what we did and here is her recipe. By the way, she was given this recipe from her local butcher Rose.

Bert’s BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

Baby Back Ribs – our Costco package contained 3 slabs of ribs
Salt & Pepper
Paprika – we didn’t measure out the amounts and it really depends on how many slabs and how spicy you like it but you need enough to cover both sides. All I can say is Bert didn’t hold back when applying.
1 bottle of dark beer – We used a bottle of Holy Grail Ale my wife picked up for a Monty Python dinner and movie night.

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rinse the ribs and pat dry with some paper towels.

How to make at home

Place the ribs in a large ovenproof casserole dish or roasting pan. I used my 16 x 12 Calphalon Roasting pan and the ribs fit fine.

Season well with salt, pepper and the paprika. Be sure to add the seasoning to both sides and have the meaty side up.

Pour the bottle of beef over the ribs and cover with aluminum foil. You want a tight seal so be sure to wrap the sides snuggly. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Finishing

Here’s where Barbecue Bob and his wife Bert differ in styles. Bert will remove the ribs, add a little of Barbecue Bob’s homemade barbecue sauce and finish in the oven for 5 minutes.

Barbecue Bob, being a grilling aficionado, likes to finish the ribs on a hot grill for 5 to 7 minutes also using his homemade barbecue sauce. You may think this is a lot of work to start a fire just for a few minutes of finishing but we can’t forget the kids who don’t like baby back ribs.

Firing up the grill is perfect for grilling those hotdogs and hamburgers that both our kids enjoy so much. It’s also great for grilling some vegetables to serve with Barbecue Bob’s Bert’s Baby Back Ribs.

So there you have it. If you are looking for a quick way to cook baby back ribs, this works fine but I will be writing about how to cook them a using a different technique soon.