How Oven-Smoked Ribs Can Rival Those Made In A Backyard Smoker

Outdoor grilling and smoking is a unique pleasure, particularly in warmer weather. When there's a chill in the air, and you don't much feel like standing outside, it might seem like cooking up your favorite grilled meats is just out of reach. The oven can easily be your saving grace for savory favorites, albeit with a slightly different but nonetheless delicious taste and texture. It's simply a matter of proper preparation, time, and patience to create a crave-worthy rack of ribs right in your oven.

There are several clever methods for using your oven as a smoker to make barbecue-inspired ribs. This can be as basic as including smoky elements in your dry rub and sauce, such as smoked paprika and liquid smoke, or as complex as setting up your oven with a packet of wood chips and a pan of water. Any method you choose will have its merits and drawbacks, but will still yield a tasty end result.

Unlike a barbecue, the oven is ideal for consistent and even slow cooking. There is a certain finesse to smoking and barbecue grilling that makes it quite the art form. Luckily, a preheated oven is much more forgiving. Start with a cheaper cut, such as a rack of pork spare ribs, and get ready for some delightful culinary experimentation.

One of the most important tips for cooking ribs in your oven is preheating. This might seem like a no-brainer, but preheating your oven prior to popping in your ribs is imperative for even cooking. It's also a good idea to keep foil on hand to line your baking tray and wrap your ribs while cooking. Using a rack underneath your ribs is another effective method for proper heating around the ribs.

For basic oven-smoked ribs, start with a three-ingredient dry rub to infuse a smoky flavor resemblant of a rack right off the barbecue. You can also brush a smoky sauce that includes liquid smoke over your ribs before they're finished cooking to seal in that familiar taste. Though this won't have the same bark or char as a grilled or smoked rack of ribs, the tender meat and bold barbecue rub or sauce will be present and pleasing.

If you really want to give your oven-baked ribs a more authentic smoker-style treatment, fill the bottom of a roasting pan with your choice of wood chips and a small amount of water that nearly covers the chips. Prepare your ribs with your preferred seasonings and set them on a rack in the roasting pan. Cover your ribs tightly with foil and slow-roast them in a hot oven, occasionally basting with sauce if you choose, until they're fully cooked.