Confessions of a Non-Griller

I have a confession to make. I cannot grill on the BBQ to save my life. I can do simple things like hot dogs and hamburgers, but a steak? Ribs? Fish? Pffffttt! I know, y’all. It’s pretty pitiful. Ask my kids about the time I attempted bacon-wrapped chicken on the grill. (So embarrassing!)

My very best girlfriend in the whole wide world, Ms. Etta Jean (y’all will hear about her often here at The Kitchen Counter) is a killer-griller! She gets on that thing and makes magic. Her chicken wings and ribs are to die for! Oh, and she has a smoker, too. I completely bow down to Ms. Etta. She knows her stuff when it comes to the grill. My son from another mother, J.R. Wagoner of J.R.’s Smokehouse, is a smokin-grillin-barbecue GENIUS. My son-in-law Ivan is another grill addict. I love watching BBQ Pitmasters, especially the lady grillers. Melissa Cookston is a BBQ goddess, y’all! I truly admire and respect all of these folks, as they thoroughly enjoy this craft and have clearly mastered it.

I, on the other hand, have learned to adapt my love for BBQ to the oven and stovetop. Today at The Kitchen Counter, I’m sharing my recipe for Pan-Seared Ribeye Steak and Oven-Baked Pork Ribs. So, when it’s cold outside, if the weather isn’t nice enough to BBQ outdoors, if you live in a place where grills aren't allowed, or if you’re just not a confident griller like me, give this a try!

PAN-SEARED RIBEYE STEAK

1-2 Beef Ribeye Steaks (USDA Choice, at least 16 oz. each)

Beef Rub of Your Choice (My favorites: Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning or Carl’s Gourmet Prime Rib and Roast Seasoning)

2 TBSP Canola Oil

½ Stick Butter

Let the steaks come to room temperature before seasoning them with the rub. Once the steaks are at room temperature, moderately coast both sides of the steaks with the rub. (NOTE: If using Carl’s, go with a lighter coating, as it can be pretty salty.) Set the steaks aside for at least 30 minutes.

Add the Canola Oil to a large skillet or grill pan, making sure it completely coats the bottom, and heat over medium-high heat (do not let the oil get hot enough to start smoking – that is too much heat and will just burn your seasoning without flavoring your meat). Add the steaks to the heated pan. The steaks should sizzle as soon as they hit the pan. Sear the steaks to get a good, caramelized brown color on each side. This should only take about 5-6 minutes total.

Once you’ve got a good sear, spread the top side of each steak with 1 TBSP of butter. It will melt off the top and onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the other 2 TBSPs of butter to the pan and let it melt. Tilt the pan a bit to one side so that the butter makes a pool, and with your other hand use a spoon to ladle butter over each of the steaks. Do this repeatedly, on both sides of the steak, until you have a good coating on each one. Turn off the heat. Follow the guidelines below for the desired doneness of your steaks.

RARE TO MEDIUM-RARE: Remove the steaks from the pan at this point and put onto a plate to rest for 3-5 minutes.

MEDIUM: Cover the pan at this point and allow the steaks to remain covered in the pan for 3-4 minutes. Remove the steaks from the pan and put onto a plate to rest for 4-5 minutes.

WELL-DONE: Cover the pan at this point and allow the steaks to remain covered in the pan for 5-7 minutes. Remove the steaks from the pan and put onto a plate to rest for 10 minutes.

OVEN-BAKED BBQ PORK RIBS

1 Slab of Pork or Baby Back Ribs (about 3 lbs.)

Your Favorite Rub/Seasoning (I use Pampered Chef’s Smoky Applewood Rub)

Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Preheat the oven to 225°.

Rinse the ribs and dab lightly with paper towels to get most of the water off. Thoroughly and generously coat the meat with the rub/seasoning on both sides. The ribs should take on a beautiful reddish color from the rub/seasoning. Using heavy duty aluminum foil, wrap the ribs and seal firmly. Place the wrapped ribs on a shallow baking/roasting pan (a cookie sheet with sides, or broiler pan works just fine). Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 225° for two hours.

Pull ribs from the oven and open the foil. Liberally brush both sides of the meat with your favorite BBQ sauce – carefully, so as not to burn your fingers! Close the foil back up and return the ribs to the oven for another hour.

Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the temperature to 350°. Open the foil and again liberally brush the ribs with BBQ sauce. Leaving the foil open and peeled back from the meat, return the ribs to the oven at 350° for about 45 minutes. When done, the ribs should have a beautifully dark, sticky glazed appearance.

Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

NOTE: These ribs will be extremely tender (i.e., fall-off-the-bone tender). If you like your ribs a little more intact, reduce the first cooking time to 90 minutes, the second cooking time to 30 minutes, and the third cooking time to 30 minutes.