Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Mama Grace's BBQ Pot Ribs

This isn't a food blog without Mama Grace's rib recipe. January 5th isn't my birthday without those ribs either. This recipe has become quite special to our family. Some of our family, that is. Every year growing up, it was a big deal to pick what you had for dinner on your birthday. More often than not, I chose Grandma's pot ribs. Not only are they delicious, but it's nice to have something that Grandma Grace made. She died when I was 2, so I don't have any memories of her. I DO however, have this recipe. It's meant so much to me (and Erin, Ryon, Mom, and Dad) for so long, that I thought everyone in the family loved it. Much to my surprise, our cousins have never eaten these ribs, simply because our Aunt Lori never liked them. She must be insane. I'm not even kidding.

Here's what ya need:

2lbs country style pork ribs
3/4 c. ketchup
3/4 c. water
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
2 onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Here's what ya do:

Remove the silver skin! I just learned this over the summer, and I'm not very good at it, but if you can do it...it's worth the trouble.

rub the ribs with salt and pepper, and brown them in a pan. (A little oil might be good here.) Place them in a large pot.

Put the other ingredients in the pot. You can pre-mix them, but I usually don't. They're going to be in that pot a long time, and everything will eventually blend together.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook at least 70 minutes, turning the ribs frequently.

Remove the lid and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered, to thicken the sauce.

Feel free to double the sauce, or add more onions if you like. I usually do. Erin and I both agree that these ribs are best served with mashed potatoes and coleslaw. Try putting the sauce all over everything.

Erin's already posted this recipe on recipezaar, but I HAD to put it here too. Feel free to check it out there, along with 91 other recipes she's shared.