Ribs in the Oven, with foil

[DavidD]

Is this method a good one for making great ribs? I saw a show on TV by Alton Brown whereby he wrapped ribs in foil, along with a white wine, vinager and other ingredients, and baked them at 225 for 2.5 hours. He called it braising. He then basted the ribs in sause and broiled them briefly. I tried it one time with st. louis ribs and they were great. The next time, i cooked st louis on the gas grill for 2.5 hours and they were tough. The ones in the oven were extremely tender.

what are your thoughts on this method of rib cooking?

 

[David Lohrentz]

You can make decent ribs in the oven by braising the way that Alton Brown did them, but you don't get the smoke flavor. Ribs done on the charcoal grill or smoker are better than ribs done in the oven.

 

[K Kruger]

The method is immaterial as far as a tender outcome goes; method is a matter of personal preference. Ribs cooked in the oven can be good--or not--but it isn't barbecue no matter what you dump on it.

If the ribs on the grill were tough but moist they were underdone, if tough and dry they were quite overdone. I'm guessing the former.

Ribs (or, for that matter, butt, brisket--all the meats we barbecue) can be slow-cooked in a smoker, rotissed, cooked in a kettle or gas grill, braised in the oven or on the stove--they just require the correct combination of time and temp to get to tender, the method notwithstanding.

I'll take tender barbecued ribs anytime.

 

[Paul G.]

I saw a show on our local PBS done by a Ron Hazelton, I believe, who cooked 2 racks of loin backs on a kettle. Said he was cooking at around 325. Went about 1 1/2 hours straight on the kettle, but had a bowl with AJ under the ribs which he said added to the flavor - obviously provided a heat sink. Then into a foil pan with liquid (which I don't recall) covered with foil. I think that was about an hour, then finished on the grill indirect, then a final basting with sauce and direct over the coals. They looked really good.

Paul