Joanne Kempinger Demski

Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Barbecued ribs are always a favorite food at restaurants.

We eat them as appetizers or as a main dish, slathered with a great sauce and served with a large side of napkins.

While the kind of sauce you use does make a difference, cooks who make ribs at home should also pay attention to the way they are cooked prior to topping them, said Michael Zillgitt, chef at Milwaukee Steakhouse, 6024 W. Blue Mound Road.

Here, he said, braising gets great results.

“I’ve been doing the ribs here for over six years. … I have a passion for braising things and when making ribs I think the braising part is more important than the sauce,” he said.

When making ribs at the restaurant, he said, he adds stock to the pan, covers the meat with parchment paper, then covers the pan with foil so the steam stays inside the pan.

The result is ribs that fall off the bones.

After they are cooked and it’s time to top them with sauce, there are lots of options, Zillgitt said.

“You can use any sauce. I personally like sauces that are spicy and smoky like our house sauce. But you can also use a sauce with less spice.

“I love making my own barbecue sauce, but most people don’t want to make it because it’s a long, drawn-out process. And there are so many (prepared) sauces out there,” so cooks need to just figure out which ones they like, he said.

Zillgitt added that when making his recipe, the braising portion can be changed to fit the cook's taste.

“Sometimes I add hot peppers I grow at my house in summer. Then, the ribs have a more spicy taste. You can add – or take away - anything you want to this recipe. It’s foolproof,” he said.

Milwaukee Steakhouse Pork Baby Back Ribs

Recipe tested by Joanne Kempinger Demski

Makes 4 servings

2 full racks pork baby back ribs

1 to 2 quarts beef stock

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup liquid smoke

1/3 cup hot pepper sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup garlic powder

¼ cup onion powder

Water

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Place whole uncut ribs into pan that is 4 to 6-inch deep and large enough to hold both the ribs without overlapping. Put thick side of the ribs facing down.

Pour stock over top of ribs. It should come about halfway up the sides of the pieces of meat. Next top with Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Evenly drizzle hot pepper sauce over ribs. Evenly add salt and pepper, then sprinkle evenly with garlic and onion powder. (If liquid does not reach halfway up the ribs add more stock or water to reach that point. How much liquid you use will depend on the size of your ribs and your pan.)

Cover with parchment paper; tucking all the corners of the paper around the ribs into the liquid. You may need 2 to 3 sheets.

Cover top of the pan with aluminum foil, tucking it tightly under the rim. Be sure not to leave any openings.

Set in preheated oven and cook 2 to 3 hours or until ribs are very tender. Ribs are done when they break apart easily.

After they are cooked, remove aluminum foil and parchment. Remove meat from pan and let cool down until you can touch them easily.

Preheat broiler.

To finish: Spread barbecue sauce on all the ribs, set on a cookie sheet and set under the broiler. Broil 5 to 7 minutes. Ribs are done when sauce is caramelized and some nice color has set in.

Ribs also can be finished on a grill. Set over high heat. Your grill should sizzle when you add the ribs. Grill 3 to 5 minutes or until caramelized.

To serve: Find center of rack and lift up with tongs to separate. Serve half of a rack of ribs to each guest.