Stovetop Braised Baby Back Ribs are my answer when I am craving gluten-free ribs but it just isn't the right time of year to barbecue. The braising liquid is rich with flavors that will remind you of a stew and you should absolutely mop it up with a hearty piece of your favorite bread (maybe an easy to bake Classic Irish Soda Bread) or pour it onto some Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Simple Ingredients
Just a handful of simple ingredients are needed to make these naturally gluten-free Braised Baby Back Ribs. The carrots, onion, and celery help to flavor the braising liquid and can become the side dish for a one pot meal.
Sear the Ribs
Begin by cutting the racks of ribs into pairs for easy cooking and serving. Season them well with salt and pepper. Then sear them in a stockpot heated to medium-high heat. You want each side of the ribs to get a nice brown crust to help lock in the juices. This means you will likely need to work in batches allowing the cooked ribs to rest on a large platter or sheet pan until later when they return to the pot.
Braising Flavor
We are starting from the bottom up when making the braising liquid. All of the browned bits on the bottom of the pot from searing the ribs are really bits of flavor that we want in the sauce. To get it off the bottom, add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. As they cook and release moisture, the beautiful tasty bits on the bottom of the pan will start to get mixed in with the veggies. We will continue to add more layers of flavor with chopped fresh garlic and tomato paste.
The tomato paste offers a great opportunity to deepen the flavor of the sauce by simply allowing it to coat the veggies and begin to caramelize. It will get a little darker red in color and you will notice the change in fragrance too. Think of it like the flavor benefit you get from caramelizing onions. Not everyone does this with tomatoes now, but they will be soon!
Keep the flavors coming with the wine, tomatoes, dried herbs, and bay leaves. Once that all comes together, it is time for the ribs to join the delicious hot tub. The ribs will add a ton of flavor as well as they continue to cook in the braising liquid.
Finish the Braised Baby Back Ribs
Once the ribs are in the stockpot, add just enough beef broth to cover the meat completely. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and turn the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for about an hour and a half or until the meat is pulling away from the ribs. If you prefer, the stockpot can be transferred to an oven preheated to 325 degrees or the contents in the stockpot can be transferred to a crockpot set on low (or the oven equivalent to 325). Then continue with the recipe as instructed.
Serve the Braised Baby Back Ribs on a serving platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped flat leaf parsley. A side of rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or bread would be amazing but aren't really necessary.
Braised Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs - cut into pairs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion - diced
- 3-4 medium stalks of celery - diced
- 3-4 medium carrots - peeled and sliced into coins
- 6 ounce can of tomato paste
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 750 mL bottle of red wine - red blend or anything you drink
- 28 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 medium bay leaves
- fine sea salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 3-4 cups beef broth - or stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - optional for serving
Instructions
- Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large stock pot with olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, add as many ribs as you can to the pot and sear them on all sides. Then set them aside on a platter to rest while you work on the braising liquid.
- Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the stockpot. Stir from time to time while they cook.
- When the veggies are softened, add the tomato paste, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir it together, allowing the garlic to become fragrant and the tomato paste to darken in color. This will add depth to the flavor of the braising liquid.
- Add the red wine, tomatoes, bay leaves, and dried herbs. Stir to combine, then carefully add the seared ribs to the pot. Add enough beef broth or stock to cover the meat.
- Put the lid on the stock pot and turn the heat to low. Continue to simmer for an hour and a half or until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone easily.
- Alternately, the covered stock pot can be placed in a preheated oven at 325 degrees or you may transfer the contents of the stock pot to a crockpot set on low heat (or the oven equivalent of 325), and the ribs can finish simmering with those methods.
- Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley if you’d like, and serve with your favorite bread, rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
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