Barefoot Contessa's Barbecued Ribs

Finally -- barbecued ribs that are guaranteed not to burn!

Q: My family loves barbecued ribs, but I can never get them cooked properly without burning them. Is there a better way to grill ribs?

A: My husband says it's not a barbecue until the firemen show up, but I'm not so happy to see our dinner go up in flames! Not to mention, it makes me nervous to cook something so temperamental when I have guests coming over. So I came up with a better way. Marinate the ribs and roast them in the oven until completely cooked. Then throw them on the grill for the last 15 minutes to get that special outdoor flavor.

Ina prefers St. Louis ribs, which you can find at most butchers. If these ribs aren't available, you can use large baby back ribs.

Roast the ribs early in the day, refrigerate them, and then put them on the grill as your guests arrive.

Use a charcoal chimney to light the coals -- this eliminates the need for lighter fluid.

Set aside half of the marinade for serving. (You don't want the sauce you use for dipping the cooked ribs to touch the raw meat.)

Marinate the ribs overnight in the fridge to give them more flavor.

BARBECUED RIBS

SERVES 4 TO 6

½ cup vegetable oil

1 ½cups chopped yellow onion (2 medium onions)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

1 cup tomato paste

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

½ cup soy sauce

1 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 racks St. Louis pork ribs (4 to 5 pounds)

1. For the marinade, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 30 minutes. Set aside half of the marinade for serving. (You don't want the sauce you use for dipping the cooked ribs to touch the raw meat.)

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the ribs on a baking sheet, slather both sides with marinade, and bake for 1 hour.

3. Place the ribs on a charcoal grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned. Turn the ribs and close the cover of the grill, making sure the vents are open enough to allow airflow, but not so much that there are flames around the meat. Grill the ribs for 10 more minutes, turning if necessary, until both sides are nicely browned. Place the ribs on a platter, brush with more marinade, and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice between the ribs, and serve hot with the reserved sauce for dipping.

Find this article at: http://www.housebeautiful.com/barefoot-contessa/barefoot-contessa-recipes-0807