Fall-Off-The-Bone BBQ Ribs Are Guaranteed With This Effortless Cooking Method

Almost every committed carnivore is familiar with the phrase "falling off the bone." They're also familiar with the precise protein that this evocative expression is almost exclusively intended to praise. It isn't chicken. It obviously isn't tofu. It's ribs! Amateur and professional pitmasters alike have spent an incalculable number of hours smoking, grilling, and baking all kinds of ribs in search of this elusive quality. And you can join these tender meat-seeking ranks with a smaller appliance using your very own pressure cooker.

Full disclosure: Many pressure cooker rib recipes you'll find require finishing under the broiler for a more convincing, fire-kissed surface. You may also notice that those recipes call for pork ribs specifically. Those will typically be easier to fit into a pressure cooker than a rack of larger beef ribs. While this isn't exactly a set-and-forget situation in either case, a pressure cooker still provides some perks versus other preparation methods alone. For one, the same intense heat that makes a pressure cooker perform its tasks so fast also breaks downs tough connective tissues with ease, thus rendering them tender enough to merit those four little words. And this typically tends to happen in under an hour with little more than something like a sweet and spicy dry rub.

Once you've selected your spare or baby back ribs, you can ready them for the pressure cooker just like you would for any other heat source. Once they're patted dry, have the membrane removed, and are cloaked in seasoning, you must then forget everything you know about arranging them. Pressure cooker ribs are not merely laid flat like they would be with other cooking methods, but rather balanced on one side lengthwise above your cooker's steam rack and preferred steaming liquid, and curled to conform with the perimeter of the pressure cooker. It's easy — you just kind of curve 'em in there.

Manufacturer instructions can vary, but you can expect your ribs to spend a little over half an hour in the pressure cooker including the time it takes for the pressure to build, work its magic, and release. You can then remove the ribs to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, brush them with your favorite barbecue sauce, and broil for another few minutes until the top starts to become tacky. You can slice to serve your ribs individually for easier handling, but they shouldn't need any additional prodding to fall off the bone as desired.