I love these ribs—they’re better than real BBQ for two reasons: (1) They ring in at one-third the calories and fat of the original, and (2) you can make them easily at home in your oven and enjoy BBQ even when it’s raining, or too hot, or too cold, or the mosquitoes are out in droves.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 rack baby back ribs (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed of all visible fat

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon smoked paprika

　　2 tablespoons liquid smoke, such as Stubb’s

　　3/4 cup reduced-sugar ketchup, such as Heinz

　　3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

　　1 large Vidalia onion, roughly chopped

　　12 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Lay a 2-foot-long piece of aluminium foil on a baking sheet, and set it aside.

　　

Step 2

Cut the rib rack in half; season it generously with salt and pepper. Place the ribs on the prepared baking sheet.

　　

Step 3

In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, liquid smoke, ketchup, and red wine vinegar. Pour the sauce over the meat, turning to coat it completely. Scatter the onions and garlic over the sauce. Place another piece of foil on top, and fold up the edges of the foil to make a tightly sealed package. Roast the ribs for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Reduce the heat to 275˚F, and bake until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 5

Slicing in between the bones, cut the ribs into 4 portions, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Fat: 68g (before), 17.3g (after)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 990 (before), 330 (after)

　　

Step 8

Protein: 28g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 13g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 87mg

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 328mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.