Instant Pot “ Fall off the bone” Baby Back Ribs

Now that the leaves have started to come down in many parts of the country, for a lot of us (at least during “normal” times) that means two things: football and cookouts.  Thankfully, with all the things COVID-19 has disrupted in our lives, sports being played has in some ways brought about a sense of normalcy and comfort for many.  And what else goes with the fall, cooler weather and a warm fire pit than BBQ?  

So, today I present to you my fool-proof recipe for “fall off the bone” tender baby-back ribs.  Using the Instant Pot instead of smoking/grilling will cut your cook time from 8+ hours to literally 1 hour in total, as well as ensure the meat is so tender it will pull apart effortlessly. This is my “go-to” recipe for bigger groups at the house.  

Side Note: After the Instant Pot cooking is done, you can also let the ribs cool, then put them in the fridge for reheating on the grill up to 3 days later, or even freeze them for up to 4 months.  This flexibility makes these ribs a great option for a social gatherings when you don’t want to spend all your time cooking while your friends are over!  Just pick things back up at the grilling step, reheat for 12-15 minutes on the grill while saucing/flipping and voila!

The following recipe will serve 4-6 people, with sides of your choice.

Prep time: ~10 min, plus overnight for the meat to season

Cook time:  40-50 min

Ingredient List:

• Two full racks of baby back ribs. About 4 lbs.
• Seasoning Rub (Store bought or homemade. My personal mix is included below.)
• 1 TBL Liquid Smoke
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup Water
• 2 cups BBQ Sauce (Store bought or homemade.  ***Personally I really love Sweet Baby Rays from the store.  It does have a little higher sugar content than some others, but the result is a delicious, gooey, caramelized coating on your ribs after grilling.)

Seasoning Rub- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly:

½ Cup Brown Sugar

2 TBL Salt

1 TBL Black Pepper

1 TBL Garlic Powder

½ TBL Onion Powder

1 tsp Paprika (either smoked or sweet are fine)

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

Place the ribs side-by-side on a sheet pan, outside/rounded side down.  You want the inside of the ribs with the membrane facing up.  Run a knife end to end over the membrane side 4-5 times, scoring it.  Season the racks thoroughly with your rub of choice and refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours/up to 2 days.

When ready to cook, place the included cooking grate in the bottom of the Instant Pot, then add the water, liquid smoke and vinegar.  Add the ribs.  Cutting them into 1/3 sections will help them fit or, you can wrap one around the outside and nest the other inside it.  Both racks should be on top of the grate and not sitting in the liquid at the bottom.  Seal the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure/manual cook for 30 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot vent naturally after the cooking is done.  If you’re serving them soon, once the cooking timer goes off and venting begins, fire up your grill to a medium heat. 

Once you remove the ribs from the pot, your grill should be ready.  You’re only using the grill to add a little char, and get the BBQ sauce hot and caramelized, not to cook them further.  Use  abating brush to apply as much or as little BBQ sauce as you like, and keep them moving around the grill with your tongs.  They’re already set to eat, so this step is just about finishing them to your own liking. 

That’s it!  We like to serve these with some Cole Slaw and Cooler Corn.  (Stay tuned for those recipes coming soon!)  Naturally, they will go great with anything you like.  Enjoy!!