The Best Dutch Oven Ribs Recipe 2024 - Clarks Condensed (2024)

FAQs

How big of a Dutch oven do I need for short ribs? ›

For cooking your show-stopping main, nothing beats a 5.5 quart Dutch oven. Its size means it can accommodate larger or more awkward cuts of meat, like pot roast, ribs or brisket, while also being big enough to feed everyone.

This recipe skips the braising step, so you have to keep them moist another way. Steam and basting are the magical solutions to this conundrum. Using a small saucepan heat apple cider and butter and then place it in the grill with the ribs. The steam from the liquid will keep the ribs from drying out.

But one of the wonderful things about a Dutch oven is that because it's cast iron, you can get it smoking hot on the stovetop and brown your meat directly in it, then add your liquid (after draining off any excess fat) and other ingredients, cover it, lower the heat and continue braising at a low temperature.

Shoot for around 2 hours at 350 degrees if the ribs are uncovered, as in our Barbecued Pork Ribs. If wrapped in foil, the ribs can go for up to 3 hours at 300°F degrees, or crank the oven up to 400 degrees for a briefer baking time—1.5 to 2 hours.

The first five ribs of the animal are shorter (hence the term “short ribs”), and the meat around them is more muscular than that around the other ribs. Like other tough cuts of meat, when slow cooked, short ribs break down and become incredibly tender and delicious.

7 qt Dutch oven for 10 beef ribs.

Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

What longer cooking times do to beef ribs. You would think that longer cooking times would simply mean more tender, succulent beef. Sadly, this is simply not the case. Cooking any kind of meat for too long will usually leave it dry, tough, and utterly unappealing.

Dry rubs are great on their own but can be spectacular when finished with a sauce in the case of ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. Wet rubs are fantastic when you are cooking low and slow – again, brisket and pulled pork. This allows your food to develop a unique bark and allows the sugars to caramelize instead of burn.

Using a Dutch oven, you can sauté, simmer, braise, sear, fry, and bake – if you can imagine it, you can make it! Simmer, boil, steam: On a basic level, a Dutch oven is just a heavy-duty pot with a lid. So any cooking method that can be performed in a typical pot, can be done in a Dutch oven as well.

How does a Dutch oven cook differently? ›

Typically made of enameled cast iron or stainless steel, dutch ovens heat quickly and maintain temperature effectively, making it an ideal vessel for searing and browning. Meanwhile, the tight-fitting lid traps moisture within the pot, enabling Dutch ovens to cook braises and stews evenly over several hours.

Arrange the Ribs

The ribs need to be elevated to cook so that air can flow over and under the meat. This way, the ribs do not need to be flipped or turned during the cooking process. Line a large cooking tray or cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and place a large cooling rack on top of the foil.

Meat Thermometer

Anything under that temperature and your ribs will be chewy, stringy, and tough. At 195 degrees F, that tissue starts to gelatinize and turn into tasty, melty deliciousness. Most ribs hit their sweet spot for doneness around 198 degrees F, but some take until 203 degrees F to be perfectly tender.

You can cook ribs either covered with foil or uncovered. Foil is used to stop the meat from drying out but is not essential. If cooking uncovered and you notice the meat is drying out or browning too quickly, you can cover with foil for the remaining cook time.

The most common sizes are between 5 and 6 quarts. You'll want to consider how you will use the dutch oven. Oval dutch ovens are less efficient on the stovetop, but they are better at accommodating roasts in the oven.

If you live alone or only cook for one or two people, a 3-quart Dutch oven should do the trick for most dishes. That said, we'd still recommend going larger for more versatility.

For cooking your show-stopping main, nothing beats a 5.5 quart Dutch oven. Its size means it can accommodate larger or more awkward cuts of meat, like pot roast, ribs or brisket, while also being big enough to feed everyone.

Short ribs, by definition, are not the entire length of rib. When the rib bone is cut into a 3-to-6-inch (7.6 to 15.2 cm) length, left as a section of meat (a "plate") containing three or four ribs or cut into individual ribs with meat attached, the short rib is known as an "English cut".