Ina Garten's Secret Method For Fall Off The Bone Ribs

Did you know that Ina Garten worked in the White House? That's right, Garten's first job was working in the White House as a Budget Analyst under the Carter-Ford administration. According to Wide Open Eats, right before her 30th birthday, she decided that she wanted to change professions and do something she was passionate about. With her husband by her side (he was her prominent supporter), she pursued her passion and purchased a specialty grocery store in 1978 called "Barefoot Contessa." Garten didn't have any cooking experience when she started and taught herself everything she knew, with some help from watching Julia Child.

Garten experimented with cooking using trial and error, perfecting her recipes until they were just the way she preferred. According to Food & Wine, she picked up a few tips along the way and has some advice for those new to the kitchen. Garten told the publication, "Don't make something you've never made before for company. Part of being a pro is making something over and over again until you feel confident that you can make it well. The more you make recipes over and over, the more confident you are."

It probably took plenty of practice, but it seems the famous chef is now confident in her rib recipe, holding a valuable secret for creating succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat.

Ina Garten tells Food Network that the secret to her foolproof ribs is cooking them in the oven, then transferring them to the grill. Doing this results in succulent ribs that fall right off the bone. 

Garten also shares that St. Louis Style ribs are her preference, though baby back ribs work well, too. According to The Kitchn, baby back ribs are in greater demand because of their tender and lean meat quality. Still, they can be expensive. Garten's preferred St. Louis Style ribs, on the other hand, are meatier, according to Tender Belly, because they come from underneath the hog's belly. They also contain a high amount of bone and fat, making them juicy and flavorful.

Garten seasons the ribs with salt and pepper, brushes them with her homemade barbecue sauce, and loosely covers them with foil. Then, she places them in the oven at 350 F for 1 hour and 45 minutes. After the ribs are cooked and tender, she brushes them with more barbecue sauce and throws them on the grill for 5 minutes on each side until the sauce becomes sticky. Allow the ribs to rest for ten minutes, then slice and serve. 

She says, "Once I stopped incinerating ribs on the grill and started roasting them first and then barbecuing them, there's no going back." 

It's safe to assume the perfect plate of tender, sticky ribs results from practice and more practice. Sounds delicious!