This Is Best Way To Reheat Ribs

Hint: It's definitely not the microwave.

Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann

If you're lucky enough to have leftover ribs from a cookout or barbecue joint, you need to know how to reheat them properly so they don't dry out.

While I’m certainly guilty of eating leftover ribs right from the refrigerator, they’re much better if you take the time to reheat them properly. Good ribs take hours to smoke or grill, so it’s downright blasphemy to pop them in the microwave when it comes time to reheat.

Not to make you microwave purists feel bad—we’re all busy and have to compromise sometimes. But reheating your ribs the right way is worth the little bit of extra time it takes to get it right.

The Best Way To Reheat Ribs

Give leftover ribs the right treatment, and they'll be as delicious as seconds as they were right off the grill or smoker.

Step 1: Take the chill off

First things first: Don’t go straight from the refrigerator to reheating. No matter how you choose to reheat them, cold ribs take longer to reheat, and longer exposure to heat can lead to dry, tough ribs. And nobody’s got time for dry, tough ribs.

Step 2: Preheat the oven

Yes, the oven. Using a microwave is a quick trip to a tough, rubbery rib. Preheat the oven to 250°F, which is just hot enough to heat the ribs gently without drying them out. Use the center rack so that the ribs are evenly heated by the circulating heat.

Step 3: Cover the ribs

What you reheat the ribs in doesn’t matter—aluminum foil pan, 13- x 9-inch baking dish, cast-iron skillet, it’s up to you. But you absolutely, 100%, no-excuses-allowed, should cover the ribs before you reheat them. You want them to warm up—not dry out.

Just grab some aluminum foil, cover the top of your chosen dish entirely, then be sure to seal it tight. Heat them until the internal temperature registers at least 130°F.

The Secret's in the Sauce

If you're reheating ribs that you cooked at home with your own sauce or rub, Matthew Register of Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland, North Carolina, suggests adding another layer of either to the ribs before serving them.

"If you're using barbecue sauce, brush the ribs with the sauce, then cook them uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes so the sauce can caramelize on the ribs," he says. "If you're using a spice rub rather than a sauce, after you bring ribs the up to temperature, remove them from oven and cover them with the spice rub before cutting and serving."

If you weren't lucky enough to score some sauce to go with your leftover ribs, try Register's easy recipe below.

Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce: In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk together 2 cups ketchup, 1 cup pancake syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. hot sauce, 1 Tbsp. onion powder, 1 Tbsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. garlic salt, and 1 tsp. kosher salt. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Recipe excerpted from Southern Smoke: Barbecue,
Traditions, and Treasured Recipes Reimagined for Today by Matthew Register.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.