Make Dad's Day/Baby Back Ribs Recipe

As Father’s day was this past weekend, it seems only fitting to write a post honoring fathers (both with food allergies and without). Here’s to fathers! Let’s raise our glasses to good fathers everywhere, those with us still and those who have passed on to other places. Father’s Day only comes once a year but those of us with good fathers are blessed to have them every day so even though this is after Father’s Day, feel free to use these ideas and spoil the man who blesses your life in a unique and special way.

For those of us who have food allergies or someone in our family has food allergies, dad probably has made many sacrifices for this family member and the whole family as well. There are a lot of things you do as a parent to protect and care for your children especially. For my family I am the person with the allergies making a lot of our family decisions dependent on me. My marvelous husband is always extremely patient and accommodating to me as my allergies aren’t something I can choose. He takes care of me and our son in such a graceful manner and this past Father’s Day was his first as a father! I wanted it to be special not just because it was his first but also because each time he tends to me with my allergies, I feel special and honored not just as his wife but as a mother and as a person. So for this Father’s Day I made my mother’s famous baby back rib recipe and he LOVED them (see the bottom of the post for the rib recipe).

I had asked my husband what he wanted and he told me ribs so I had decided to make him the best ribs I could possibly make to honor his daddy-hood. Although I’m sure a lot of men love ribs, each dad has his own likes and dislikes. And let’s be honest: some dads are stinking difficult to spoil because you have no idea what they want! (I just got lucky with my hubby.)

So, for those of us who have more difficult father’s/husbands on Father’s Day, here are some ways we can honor them while still being food allergy conscious:

1. Make him a special dessert (this doesn’t have to be allergy friendly if he is not the person with allergies. However, make sure everyone else in the house knows whether it is safe for them or not and if there are airborne allergies it should be allergy friendly. Also if there are young children they may not know why you are making something special they can’t have and it’s safer to make it allergy safe for them just in case they are tempted/you want to share with everyone.) If you can’t figure out his favorite, something he enjoys will work just fine!

2. Make the day all about him. Get food from a place you don’t normally go because of allergies (again only if he is not the person with allergies) for him and have a different meal for the person with allergies. (For my husband it’s pizza and I can’t have most pizza unless I make it so special ordering him gourmet pizza is nice every once and awhile even though I have to get something else. Sometimes it’s just a nice surprise for him especially since he recognizes that I went out of my way to get him something special.)

3. For your husband: Have the kids do something special for him such as put on a skit for him or do something meaningful (example: if he loves cars have them clean his car or if they’re little, make cars out of big boxes and put on a “car show” for him)

4. For your dad: You (and siblings if you have any) can visit and put on a skit of something funny to him or create a group video (if you can’t be there) talking about what makes him the best dad and funny memories.

5. Ask him what he wants to eat/do/where he wants to be for that day and try to make it happen. Even if he says somewhere crazy that you can’t make happen (like Rome and you are in Georgia) see if you and your family can “recreate” Rome for him for the day but making statues, eating Gelato, etc.

6. Let him teach you something. Most dads/husbands have things they are great at and they love to feel important and needed/wanted. Even if he’s good at something you find extremely boring, try to be excited for one day about it and let him get excited teaching you about his passions (takes some planning if there are little kids that may need extra help staying entertained).

7. Do that something that you’ve been telling him you would. (For me I still have a pizza brick oven to make!) If you have a project you’ve told him you’d make or something he’s been asking you to do then, do it! This is the perfect time!

These are just a few suggestions to make dad feel special on his big day. He takes care of you and the kids all the time/he took care of you growing up and we all know we weren’t the angel children we pretend we were. So, let him have a day of being extra cared for. And now for the Baby Back Rib Recipe:

You will need:

-Racks of baby back ribs

-Rub (I use McCormick’s Smokehouse maple) –2/3 of a bottle usually covers 1 rack

-Tray for cooking on

-An oven

-Paper towels

-Aluminum foil

-Your preferred barbecue sauce (I use Heinz sticky barbecue)

Take however many racks of ribs that you have (only use baby back ribs, spare ribs will turn out differently and are not nearly as juicy) and pull the membranes off the more bony concave side. To do this it is easiest if you get a paper towel and grip a little bit tightly and pull. Each time you get a decent amount grip it down lower closer to the bones so it won’t tear. This doesn’t have to be perfect but most of it needs to come off or the meat won’t get tender.

Set the oven to 295 degrees F.

Unroll some aluminum foil and place one rack of ribs on it. Cover them in whatever rub you use (I use McCormick’s smokehouse maple seasoning). Flip the ribs over and cover the other side as well, use liberally. The more rub, the more flavor.

When done with both sides on one wrap the aluminum foil around it tightly. If it doesn’t cover the rack then pull another strip off. The rack needs to be tightly wrapped with no openings to the outside air or it will dry out.

Repeat the last two steps with any more racks that you have.

Once they are all wrapped tightly place them on a cookie sheet or something tray that is oven safe and big enough to hold them (they will drip so make sure they completely fit on the trays).

Place them in the oven for 5 hours on 295 degrees F. Once they are done take them out and this is the most important step *LET THEM REST FOR AN HOUR* Do not unwrap them or move them. Just take them out of the oven and let them sit for an hour.

After they have rested for an hour, unwrap and enjoy with whatever barbecue sauce you like! I prefer Heinz sticky barbecue sauce but I have special ones without corn syrup in them.

ENJOY!