Beef Ribs.  For me, the very mention of this wonderful finger food immediately conjures up memories of the massive wood fired pits I became accustomed to in Texas.  Those BBQ places that actually had ribs on the menu were few and far between, but they were invariably my favorite places to eat.  Brisket is great, but for me ribs are far more succulent and I was there for the grease-covered jaw gloriousness of the affair.

Sure, you can be completely civil and eat ribs with a knife and a fork, but where’s the fun in that?  Part of the experience with bone-in foods is the sheer joy of foregoing the flatware and getting down and dirty with your meal.  It’s just fun!  The kids love it too, and there’s always room for a few chuckles and good-natured ribbing (pardon the pun) about messy faces and lack of manners.

While I usually smoke or grill my ribs, this particular version was made in the oven with a balsamic dressing.  The flavors are amazing, the meat it fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy and absolutely sumptuous.  I don’t think I could have done better in my smoker, and the flavor that the balsamic vinaigrette adds to the beef is both subtle and stunning at the same time. This is a definite keeper.

Are you a fan of the K.C. Style, sauce covered ribs or, spicier Louisiana style?  If you’re like me, sauce just covers the flavor, but we’ve all got different tastes. What are yours?

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Yield: 4 servings

Balsamic Braised Beef Ribs

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 lbs bone-in beef ribs
• ¾ bottle of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, Or about 1 cup of your own
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line the inside of a roasting pan, large lidded casserole or Dutch oven with aluminum foil. Season ribs liberally with salt and pepper and place in pan
3. Fold foil over ribs to create a pouch with the top open. (Ribs should be placed in foil with the bones arching down.) Pour ¾ bottle of salad dressing over ribs and seal pouch. If using Dutch oven or casserole, cover with lid. If using roasting pan, cover with an additional layer of foil.
4. Cook at 350 degrees for four hours.
5. Note: open pouch carefully and away from face. Allow ribs to cool approximately 10 minutes before serving.
6. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1733Total Fat: 140gSaturated Fat: 53gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 69gCholesterol: 381mgSodium: 948mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 104g

While I would have preferred to cook these bad boys in a hot grill or smoker, The addition of a drop of Liquid smoke might give the same flavors.  Either way, give this a try!

Links to other recipes like this:

• Lemongrass and Coconut Braised beef Ribs, from The Culinary Chase
• Braised Beef Ribs, from ReTorte
• Braised Beef Short Ribs, from CbsoP