Oven Baked Ribs
I don't think Mom made this too often - but I remember her making it when I was a kid.
I don't think Mom made this too often - but I remember her making it when I was a kid.
- Carbohydrate 26.0108391 g
- Cholesterol 268.8 mg
- Fat 79.07709814 g
- Fiber 2.53689817375004 g
- Protein 53.89491956 g
- Saturated Fat 25.379320242 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (518g)
- Sodium 1159.904441 mg
- Sugar 23.47394092625 g
- Trans Fat 11.471258936 g
- Calories 1028 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Salt ribs and place in roasting pan meaty side up.
- Arrange lemon and onion on top of ribs.
- Roast uncovered for 30 minutes at 450F.
- While ribs are roasting, prepare sauce by combining remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over ribs.
- Lower temperature to 350F. Bake until well-done, 1 1/2 hours. Baste every 15 minutes. If sauce gets too thick, add water.
Substituting bottled barbecue sauce for the homemade mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco changes the flavor profile entirely by introducing unwanted liquid smoke and high fructose corn syrup that can burn during the extended roasting time. Achieving tender meat without an outdoor smoker relies heavily on a precise two-stage temperature shift, moving the roasting pan from an aggressive 450 degrees Fahrenheit down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit after the initial thirty-minute sear. When the thinly sliced lemons and onions caramelize directly on the meat during that first high-heat phase, they infuse the pork with aromatic acidity that cuts through the rich fat content of the spareribs. Cooking pork spareribs thoroughly requires patience because the connective tissue needs at least one and a half hours at the lower temperature to break down completely into gelatinous tenderness. Regular basting every fifteen minutes prevents the sugary tomato glaze from scorching on the surface of the meat, and maintaining a watchful eye ensures that adding splashes of water keeps the consistency fluid rather than overly sticky.
Originating from traditional American comfort food preparation methods, this stovetop-to-oven sauce method predates widespread backyard grilling by utilizing household appliances to replicate outdoor barbecue textures. Simmering the sauce ingredients on the stove before pouring them over the meat marries the vinegar, heat, and sweetness together into a cohesive glaze rather than disjointed raw components. Spareribs inherently possess more fat and bone than baby back ribs, which contributes significantly to the final moisture level and requires adequate roasting time to render out properly. Utilizing a heavy-duty roasting pan ensures even heat distribution across the three pounds of pork, preventing hot spots that might cause the citrus slices to char prematurely.
Adjusting the acidity by varying the proportion of lemon juice or substituting cider vinegar provides an easy way to balance the sweetness of the ketchup base according to personal preference. Monitoring the thickness of the glaze during the final hour prevents bitter carbonization from ruining the crust on the meat.
