Barbecued "onion soup" ribs

PREP TIME

10 min

Makes

4 to 6 servings

* PLUS Cooking time: 100 minutes, Grilling Time: 8 minutes

Andreas Trauttmansdorff

Ingredients

2 cups water
38-g pouch onion soup mix
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
2 racks pork ribs , either side or back, about 1.5 kg
vegetable oil
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Pour water into a large wide saucepan and set over high heat. Place unopened pouch of soup on counter and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush contents. Add soup mix, barbecue sauce and Tabasco to water and stir to evenly mix.
Slice pork into 3- or 4-rib serving-size portions, then place in saucepan. They won’t be completely immersed in liquid. Cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, turning ribs occasionally, until fork-tender, 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove ribs to a large platter. Bring liquid in saucepan to a boil over high heat. Boil, uncovered and stirring often, until liquid is thick and saucy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often, especially for last few minutes, to prevent sticking. When sauce is thick, taste and stir in more Tabasco, if you like. Then lightly oil grill and heat barbecue to medium-high.
Lightly brush ribs with oil, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place on grill. Barbecue, uncovered, turning often, until lightly charred and heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. If serving on individual plates, place hot ribs in pan with sauce, then turn ribs to coat. Or place ribs on a platter and pour sauce overtop. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
447,
Protein
32.8 g,
Carbohydrates
4.9 g,
Fat
31.8 g,
Fibre
0.2 g,
Sodium
583 mg.

This is a Test Kitchen favourite! “So easy” and “so good” were often repeated while we licked our chops. The three secret ingredients? A package of onion soup mix, barbecue sauce and a splash of Tabasco – that’s it.

Rib Bonus

When you buy ribs at the supermarket, there is often a skinny piece of meat in the package that doesn’t look like the rest of the rack. It’s long and flat with small circular bones that look like buttons. The meat on a button bone is the same as the meat on large ribs, so cook and enjoy as you would regular ribs.

Kitchen Tip

Skip grilling ribs, if you like. Just toss hot tender ribs in thickened barbecue sauce mixture.

Make Ahead

Simmer ribs in onion mixture until tender, then remove to a large bowl. Boil liquid in pan until thick and saucy. Place ribs in a plastic bag and seal. Pour sauce into a small bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring ribs to room temperature before grilling. Reheat sauce in microwave. Continue with recipe at step 4.