Best Baby Back Ribs in Town

When Damon's Restaurant left our area, I had to re-create their delectable, sweet, hickory-flavored ribs because we all loved them so much. These tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth ribs live up to their name and are my family's #1 favorite. Although this recipe takes a while to prepare, the steps are easy, and the results are well-worth the trouble. The sauce recipe came from my cookbook, "True Southern Family Recipes". It can be prepared ahead and refrigerated indefinitely.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 2 9x13 casserole full of ribs

Ingredients

• RIBS

• 3  lbs  baby back ribs (pork)

• SAUCE

• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1  cup ketchup
• 6  tablespoons vinegar
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 4  teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt) or 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 1  tablespoon water

Directions

1. Make one recipe of Rib Sauce (above) and set aside.
2. Pre-cook ribs by EITHER Baking (preferred method) OR Parboiling.
3. MAKE-AHEAD TIP: After pre-cooking (baking or parboiling) ribs, they may be vacuum sealed and frozen for up to 3 months OR glazed with Rib Sauce and refrigerated or given their final baking immediately.
4. ** BAKING RIBS (preferred method): Cut rack of ribs in half. Place 1 1/2 pounds ribs in each of two 9x13-inch casserole dishes.
5. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to each casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Drain all liquid.
6. ** PAR-BOILING RIBS: Cut rack of ribs in half. Fill large pot with water; heat to boiling. Add all ribs to boiling water (should be enough to just cover top of ribs).
7. Simmer ribs about 45 minutes until just tender but meat is not falling off the bones. Remove ribs from boiling water. Rinse and drain.
8. **** RIBS (Final Baking): Cut ribs in sections. In two 9x13-inch glass casserole, place ribs in SINGLE layer in casserole.
9. Pour about 1/3 of Rib Sauce over one dish of ribs to glaze them.
10. Repeat with second half of ribs, using another 1/3 of sauce or enough of the remaining sauce to glaze all the ribs.
11. MAKE-AHEAD TIP: At this point you can cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
12. If frozen, thaw before baking.
13. Place UNCOVERED ribs in preheated 350 degree oven.
14. Bake for 45-60 minutes until most of sauce has been absorbed by the ribs and meat is "melt-in-your-mouth" tender.
15. If you have any remaining sauce, serve it with the ribs, along with plenty of napkins.
16. These are finger-licking good and messy to eat-- but is there any other way to eat ribs?.
17. *** RIB SAUCE: Mix cornstarch and water together to make a slurry Set aside.
18. Mix remaining dry ingredients together.
19. Place in saucepan.
20. Mix remaining wet ingredients together.
21. Pour half of wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring to mix well.
22. Add remaining half of wet ingredients, stir to mix well, and simmer mixture, uncovered, for about 10-20 minutes to thicken sauce a bit.
23. While mixture is gently boiling, pour in slurry while stirring.
24. Return mixture to a slow boil and cook until sauce thickens a little.
25. Sauce should be thick enough to cling to ribs, yet pourable.
26. Cool sauce and store in air-tight glass or plastic container.
27. Refrigerated it keeps indefinitely.