The Beauty Of Father’s Day Ribs (Plus Recipe)

This Father’s Day, let’s go beyond the traditional gifts and treat Dad to one of his favorite foods – ribs. Whether out at a nearby barbecue restaurant or at home, just about any style of ribs will do, but our favorite is St. Louis-style. They provide great texture and flavor.

St. Louis-style ribs are cut from the bottom portion of the ribs, offering a balance of meat, bone, and fat. They are usually spare ribs and are usually smoked, but don’t have to be smoked, especially if you are a home cook looking to keep it simple.

Simmering For Rib Tenderness And Time Efficiency

To achieve fall-off-the-bone tenderness without spending hours cooking, try the two-step cooking method: simmering and grilling. Unlike traditional low and slow methods that can take up to six hours, simmering ribs takes about an hour and still allows the meat’s connective tissues to soften.

If you want to speed up your cooking time even more, check out Maple Leaf Foods’ fully cooked and seasoned ribs. A lot of restaurants rely on pre-cooked foods like these ribs for efficiency in the kitchen.

St. Louis Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 slabs St. Louis Style Ribs
• 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (We recommend Ken’s Cannonball Barbecue Sauce, available in food service sizes.)

Instructions

1. Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the ribs. Salt the water.
2. To avoid a tough, chewy texture, remove the silvery membrane on the bone side before cooking.
3. Place ribs in boiling water.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.
5. Remove ribs from bag and place on a warm grill. Grill each side for 2 minutes.
6. When you flip ribs, baste with BBQ sauce.

There’s no reason to be shy about cooking up ribs. It’s an easy dish big enough to feed a crew and on the plate they look, well, beautiful. Plus, the side options are limitless. Go with what Dad likes!