Our friend Golnaz picked up this pan – called “Moistly Roasted” on sale at Sur la Table, and discovered when she brought it home that it would not fit in either of her wall ovens.
Bummer.
SO… she very kindly gave it to me – I love deals like that; and I sorta kinda love this pan. It is designed to add constant moisture to the oven while roasting your holiday turkey – but I decided to try it with ribs.
Cherry cola barbecue ribs, to be precise – made with Cherry Pepsi this time, since that is currently our cherry cola carbonated beverage of choice.
INGREDIENTS
•1 or 2 racks of pork spare ribs
•Rib rub
Sauce:
•1 cup barbecue sauce
•1 can (12 oz) cherry cola
•1/4 cup cherry preserves
•1/2 tsp ground mustard – 9/5 1 tsp
•2 tsp Earl’s or other hot sauce
Make the sauce by combining the barbecue sauce, soda, preserves, mustard and hot sauce in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced a bit and thick, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Heat oven to 350° – here’s where we get to test the new pan.
Add water to fill the pan base – it should take about 6 cups – then drop the lid on, and place your roasting pan on top.
As it happened, my turkey roaster worked a treat.
Place your ribs in the roasting pan and apply the rib rub to both sides, about a tablespoon should do it, but if you want to use more, feel free.
CAREFULLY – that water will slosh – place the pans in your hot oven, one on top of the other.
Bake, uncovered, for 90 minutes, until the ribs are nice and tender.
Brush the ribs liberally with the barbecue sauce and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the ribs are nicely glazed.
Yum.
We had ours with a batch of Good-For-You Onion Rings and were well pleased with all of it; the ribs were, indeed, a bit more tender than they have been when I’ve followed the exact same recipe without the water pan; and the onion rings, which I baked on the lower oven shelf at the same time, still came out crispitty tasty good.
The pan claims it holds enough water to get you through roasting a turkey, but I am unconvinced about that, mine was empty after baking the ribs. Mebbe I hadn’t added enough water – I did not measure out 6 cups, just added as much as I THOUGHT the pan could hold and still be maneuvered without too much sloshing about.
Still, it did seem to work, and I am open to trying it again, with ribs, or a roast, or even a turkey, so thanks, Golnaz!