Recipe: Tony Roma's Real Ribs (repost)

TONY ROMA'S "REAL" RIBS
Board: Copycat/Restaurant Recipe Requests at Recipelink.com
From: Patrick Callaway 10-14-1999

I read the recipes posted here for those delectable ribs but, while the end product may well be good, I don't believe they have the "real" recipe. I make that statement based on conversations with a friend, "Bill", who was a Tony Roma's restaurant Manager. After a little bribery and cajoling, he gave it up. Here's how they do it - according to "Bill" - with a few tips from adapting the method to my kitchen:

Begin the day before, by preheating the oven to 500 degrees (that's right). I normally use two racks of baby back pork ribs (they may be dry-rubbed or just use salt and pepper).

Take a 2-piece broiling pan, pour about 1/2 inch of water in the lower portion and put the upper half, the part with the drain holes, in place. Now, lay the two racks of ribs side by side on top. Avoid overlapping them or hanging them off the edge of the pan. Form a tent and seal tightly around the perimeter of the broiler with extra heavy-duty aluminum foil. You may need to fold two sheets together to get enough width. It is crucial that the seal is tight! If the water evaporates, the end product will suffer (not to mention you and your guests). Also, make sure that the foil does not lay on the ribs.

Bake for one hour, exactly. This essentially steams the ribs at high temp. Cool the ribs, still covered, remove them from the pan, then wrap tighly and chill overnight in the fridge. This step is important. The ribs must be cold for the next phase. You can reserve the liquid, which is basically rib stock, reduce/strain and add to the barbecue sauce if you like. It adds a unique, meaty flavor.

Start your grill. I prefer charcoal, you may prefer wood or gas. You want a hot grill for this and you'll need to be attentive because timing is of the essence here.

Place the ribs on the grill and when they reach a golden, bubbly stage (3-4 minutes), turn them and coat with a good barbecue sauce. Bullseye Original works well, but I've found that any quality sauce will do fine, so use your favorite. After the other side has browned, turn and coat it. Cook the sauce into the ribs for a couple of minutes on each side, then remove, slice and serve. A word of caution: The ribs will be so tender that the meat will literally fall off the bone when you try to turn the racks on the grill. It is helpfull to have two sets of large tongs and be very, very gentle.

I've been using this method (after all, it is more method than recipe) for nearly ten years now and my relatives and friends simply love it! I'm Texan and a purist when it comes to my barbecue. No doubt, this method flies in the face of traditional, time-honored techniques but the results are so finger-lickin' good that I just can't help myself! Hope you like it.