Not-BBQ Pork Riblets

Riblets

I love ribs. I mean, I really love them. Plop a plate full of succulent, sticky pork ribs in front of me with some white bread, sweet tea and some greens and I couldn’t be a happier girl. What I don’t love is the price tag attached to them. A plate of delicious pork rib barbecue from a half-way decent place costs a pretty penny.

Sadly, racks of ribs from the grocery store can also cost quite a bit as well. A glance at the cryovac’d rack of baby backs is enough to make my grocery budget shrink away in fear. Perhaps it would be fine for special occasions but not for an everyday meal.

Luckily, my grocery store carries riblets. I bought them once in a desperate attempt to sate my rib craving and I have been in love with them ever since. They have great flavor, are easy to cook and they’re much cheaper than full sized ribs. These days, I buy as much as my budget will allow and squirrel them away in the freezer.

I cook my riblets much the same way you would cook ribs. I suppose you could grill these babies but I don’t bother. We get great flavor from our oven!

Not-BBQ Pork Riblets

Dry Rub
2 parts chili powder
2 parts salt
2 parts brown sugar
1 part granulated garlic

Pork riblets

Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Prepare the riblets
Mix together the dry rub. The recipe here is given in parts to allow you to scale it to size. For 2 to 3 pounds of riblets, I suggest using tablespoons. Dust the riblets liberally with the dry rub on both sides and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.

Cooking the riblets
Remove your riblets from the refrigerator around 30 minutes before cooking to bring closer to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 325F. Prepare a broiler pan by lining with foil (for easy clean up) and placing a rack on it. In the bottom of the broiler pan add about 1/2″ of water with 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke. Lay your seasoned riblets on the rack. Cover with foil, taking care to tent the foil so the foil does not touch the ribs. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Glazing the riblets
When the riblets are done, remove the foil tent and drain the water. Set your oven to broil. Brush one side of the riblets lightly with your favorite BBQ sauce. Broil for 3 minutes. Turn, lightly baste the other side and broil for another 3 minutes.

If you desire a heavier, more carmelized glaze, turn the ribs over again and brush the sauce more heavily on the riblets. Return to the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes, watching the ribs carefully to ensure the desired doneness.