Forget the smoker — these easy oven ribs deliver big flavor

OK, you asked for it, I made delicious ribs this weekend and will be serving them reheated for our friends Monday night.

I'm going to try a combination of heating some on the grill, some in the crockpot and the rest in the oven.

I'll report back on what worked best.

Photo via Canva

The secret to these easy baby back ribs

As far as the ribs are concerned, I usually like St. Louis-style spare ribs over baby back, but I went with baby back for this easy recipe as that's what was available at the PA Dutch market on Saturday.

Put two racks on a baking sheet.

Start with a high-quality olive oil, not a ton, just to get a glisten and it will help the rack not stick to the pan.

Then add dry spices; garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Maldon salt and crushed black pepper.

Press it all in, don't be afraid of the spices.

Drizzle molasses on top and press it into the meat by hand, and make sure the spices are still covering the top of the meat.

Put it in the oven at 275 degrees for 3 hours.

You may finish under the broiler to get more of a crisp on top. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce and enjoy.

Photo via Bill Spadea & Canva

The homemade coleslaw that goes with it

I serve homemade coleslaw on the side, that's also super easy.

With a mandolin or a great knife, shred green and purple cabbage; I used a cheese grater to shred a couple large carrots.

Add the veg to a large bowl, then add Salt, pepper, cayenne, apple cider vinegar and mayo, but only homemade mayo.

Then add a bit of agave, or honey. Mix well and set it in the fridge overnight, it's the perfect accompaniment to the ribs.

Photo by Sara Cervera on Unsplash

Spadea's easy homemade mayo

The mayo is easy; one whole raw egg and an additional yolk in a wide mouth jar.

Add a half to ¾ cup of avocado oil, white wine vinegar, a dollop of Dijon mustard and salt.

Use a handheld immersion blender and blend from the bottom up until it's thick and creamy.

Let it set in the fridge for a few hours for best results.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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