Barbecued ribs are a staple at many picnics and family gatherings. There are a wide variety of ways to prepare barbecued ribs, including grilling, smoking, baking, braising, cooking ribs in the crock pot, or cooking them in an electric skillet, but some of the grilling techniques can dry them out.
There are a couple types of beef ribs you can purchase–short ribs and back ribs. Short ribs tend to take longer to become tender than back ribs, but back ribs take a bit longer to prepare.
Step One
Choose a good cut of meat. You will want to choose either short ribs or back ribs. Back ribs need more preparation than short ribs, but they will cook more quickly and usually be more tender. Be sure to choose a cut of rib meat that is fairly lean and thick. This will help ensure it stay tender and juicy while cooking.
Step Two
Prepare the ribs. Trim the fat and membrane from the ribs to allow them to be as lean as possible. Short ribs generally don't need to be trimmed and can be placed straight into the pan.
Step Three
Boil the ribs. Place a large pot of water on the stove top and begin the boiling. Once the water is at a boil, place the ribs in the water until they are cooked through. Depending on the type of rib you choose, this should take 45 minutes to an hour. Boiling the ribs will keep them juicy, and make them less likely to dry out while they are baking in the oven.
Step Four
Season or marinate the ribs. If you want the ribs to be more flavorful, you can place them in a marinade or pan of barbecue sauce to absorb more flavor before baking them in the oven. If you choose this method, you can place the soaking meat in the marinade in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. This will allow the meat to take on the greatest amount of flavor. If you prefer more of a grilled or smoked flavor, you can put a rib rub on the meat, then baste it in barbecue sauce.
Step Five
Place the ribs in a shallow baking pan, glaze them again with barbecue sauce, and bake in the oven at 325. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and allow the ribs to bake for about an hour, or until very tender. You can test to see if they are done by pulling at them with a fork. When the meat comes off the bone easily, the ribs are ready to eat.