Cooking Lesson #5—Instant Pot Barbecued Ribs

How you doin’? It’s day 23 and we are still staying on top of the curve. All of us at Perspectives are well and continuing to distance ourselves from other people. In Los Angeles we have been asked not to shop or go to the pharmacy for the next week or two. Consider doubling up on your recipes to tide you over. Stay in and stay safe!

Now you might be thinking to yourself, who the heck would make barbecued ribs in an Instant Pot? I sure did. But as the winner of Best Barbecue in Austin, Texas 3-years running (for one of our clients), you can imagine I was more than a little skeptical. I quickly found, however, that using an Instant Pot is a great way to make ribs in hurry when you don’t have access to a “real” smoker. You will need one accessory for your 6-quart Instant Pot—a trivet or steamer basket makes the job a lot easier.

Serve ribs with barbecued beans, coleslaw and/or corn on the cob. Enjoy!
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  35 minutes
Cool Time:  30 minutes
Yield:  Serves 4 to 6
 
Ingredients
 
For the barbecue spice rub
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 
For the ribs
2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds total)
1 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup barbecue sauce
 
Instructions
To make the spice rub

1. Place the brown sugar, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl; stir well to combine; set aside.

To prep and cook the ribs

1. Remove the membrane that covers the bones on the underside of the ribs. (See my ChefsSecret below).
2. Sprinkle the rub evenly over the ribs on both sides and on the ends.  Gently rub the spice mixture into the ribs.  Set aside for at least 2 hours to get the maximum flavor.
3. Set a steamer basket or trivet inside your Instant Pot.  Add 1 cup of water.  Place the ribs on the steamer or trivet by gently rolling them and standing them up in the pot. Put with the first rack of ribs in the pot, then make a tighter roll with the second rack and put them inside the first rack of ribs.
4. Drizzle the rolled ribs with balsamic vinegar.
5. Put the lid on the Instant Pot; seal making sure the pressure valve is closed. Set to HIGH manual pressure for 25 minutes.  The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
6. When the 25 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then Quick Release any remaining pressure using the pressure cooker’s release valve.
7. Using tongs, immediately transfer the ribs meaty side up to a foil-lined baking sheet; the ribs should gently bend but not break when lifted, and the meat should be just pulling away from the ribs.
8. Brush the finished ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce on all sides. Broil or grill on medium-high heat until some of the sauce is browned and sticky, 5 to 7 minutes.
9. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut between the ribs into desired servings. Serve immediately.

ChefSecrets:

• I like to use extra meaty back ribs when available or St. Louis Cut Pork Ribs. 
• Removing the connective membrane usually guarantees tender ribs. To do so, flip the ribs over so they're meat-side down, then slide a knife in between the ribs and the thin membrane of the first rack — start in the center of the rack, which tends to be easier than the ends. Once you’ve got a few inches pulled up, use a clean needle nose pliers or regular pliers to pull the membrane up and off the bones. If you purchase your ribs frozen remove the membrane while still frozen. 
• The ribs can be coated with the dry rub and refrigerated overnight.   
• The cooked ribs can also be cooled, wrapped in food film and refrigerated for up to 4 days before reheating medium-high heat and finishing with the sauce. 
• If you don’t have smoked salt, drizzle 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke over the ribs with the balsamic vinegar.

#BabyBackRibs #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #InstantPot #Covid19

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