I am not an Instant Pot fan. I’ve made a couple of Insta-Recipes, and they were disasters. The meat tasted bland and boiled and felt waterlogged. The third time, The One just stared at me, giving me his why-do-you-always-have-to-buy-every-gadget-you-see look. (Yes, that is an actual expression brought on by the junk heap of discarded appliances, tools, implements, and doodads in the basement.)
After I washed the Instant Pot after that last experiment, I stuffed it with its manuals, little red silicone gloves, and plastic spoon and tossed it on the heap, where I was certain it would stay until the basement grew so overwhelmingly stuffed we’d be eligible to star in an episode of “Hoarding: Buried Alive, Culinary Edition.”
Since the New Year, though, we’ve been Inventory Eating to empty out the fridge, pantry, and freezer. Yesterday we were rummaging through our serial-murderer freezer (you know, the long chest kind), and in among the chickens, ground beef, fatback that I will never use, and the crystalized shrimp and lobster shells was a frozen rack of ribs.
“What can we do with it?” The One asked.
“Not a lot today.” The temperature was hovering at near zero, so grilling was out of the question. Then I remembered this recipe. “Well, there is a pressure cooker ribs recipe on the site,” I added.
“Is that the crazy Instant Pot thing?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding? More boiled meat? What are we? British?”
When I told him he could make dinner if he was so offended, he suddenly expressed his undying affection “for a good boiled joint followed by a Spotted Dick.”
I followed the recipe exactly. I cut the ribs into three sections, laying them on top of one another like a pile of books, which I discovered was wrong. Even 25 minutes of high pressure couldn’t cook that meat stack all the way through. So I put them back in for 5 minutes standing on end, and they cooked–I freaking hate to say it–perfectly.
All that was left was to baste them with the glaze and broil them. Apparently, I’ve had bad broiler mojo, too, because I burned one side. Luckily, it was the underside, so there wasn’t too much damage. (Note to self: Learn the difference between low, medium, and high broil on the wall oven.) I hovered at the oven while the meaty side turned from gray to tan to a burnished terra cotta.
“These are amazing,” said The One.
“I know, right?” Who knew pressurized meat could be so good.
I don’t know if our success was due to Janet Zimmerman’s excellent directions (other pressure cookbooks, especially Instant Pot tomes, have proven a bust for me), or perhaps I’m starting to get a handle on this Instant Pot headache contraption. Or a little bit of both.
As of now, this jury is still out on Instant Pot. But this recipe? Not guilty by reasons of insane deliciousness.
Chow,
Contents
- Why Our Testers Loved This
- What You’ll Need to Make This
- How to Cook Ribs in a Pressure Cooker
- How to Remove the Membrane from Ribs
- Common Questions
- Storage & Reheating
- Helpful Tips
- What to Serve with Pressure-Cooked Ribs
- More Superb Rib Recipes
- Write a Review
- Pressure Cooker Ribs Recipe
- Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Why Our Testers Loved This
In addition to the outstanding flavor of these spare ribs, my testers were completely delighted to be able to make fall-off-the-bone tender ribs in just one hour.
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Spare ribs–These are cut from behind the shoulder and along the belly of the pig and are usually sold in slabs containing about 12 ribs. Before cooking, you’ll need to remove the membrane or ask your butcher to do it. See the video below about how to remove rib membranes.
- Beef stock–You can use homemade beef stock or your favorite store-bought beef broth.
How to Cook Ribs in a Pressure Cooker
- Remove the membrane from the ribs.
- Cut the ribs into a few pieces and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the beef stock into the pressure cooker insert.
- Arrange the rib pieces on the rack inside the pressure cooker, standing them on their sides so that everything fits without overlapping.
- Cook over high pressure until the ribs are tender, then turn the pressure cooker off and let it cool with natural release. Carefully transfer the ribs bone-side up to a foil-lined baking sheet. Preheat the broiler.
- Discard the fat from the liquid in the pressure cooker, then bring the remaining liquid to a simmer.
- Stir in the mustard and sugar and simmer until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency.
- Baste the bone side of the ribs with some sauce and broil until the sauce bubbles. Flip the ribs, glaze with the remaining sauce, and broil until heated through.
How to Remove the Membrane from Ribs
Common Questions
Definitely. Water will do fine, though it won’t impart as much flavor as stock or broth. Feel free to try it with apple juice or even root beer.
This is a case of do as I say, not as I do (see the story above). Stacking them will result in uneven cooking. Stand the ribs on their bony end and fold the pieces around the edges of the insert to allow everything to fit without them overlapping.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover ribs can be stored in a sealed container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in a single layer in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven until warmed through.
Helpful Tips
- For a flavor boost, swap in your favorite dry rub for the salt and pepper.
- If you don’t want to reduce the liquid to make a glaze, you can discard the liquid and simply brush the ribs with your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.
What to Serve with Pressure-Cooked Ribs
We love these ribs with a side of mashed potatoes or French fries, a big bowl of creamy coleslaw, and fresh corn on the cob. They’d also be great with baked beans and a Caesar salad.
More Superb Rib Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Amazing recipe. I’m a beginner at both ribs and the pressure cooker and I’ve done this three times so far.
Arrick S.
Pressure Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
- 1/2 (3-pound) rack pork spare ribs, membranes removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup beef stock, or low-sodium broth
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Instructions
- Remove the membrane from the ribs.
- Cut your 1/2 (3-pound) rack pork spare ribs into 2 or 3 pieces so all the ribs will fit in the pressure cooker. Sprinkle the ribs on both sides with the 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour the 1 cup beef stock into the pressure cooker and place the steamer insert in the cooker.
- Place the ribs on the steamer insert. Rather than stacking sections of ribs, place the rib sections on end and sort of curl them around the pot so the pieces aren’t touching to ensure even cooking.
- Lock the lid in place and bring the pot to high pressure (15 psi for stove top or 9 to 11 psi for electric). If using a stove-top pressure cooker, maintain the pressure for 20 minutes for tender ribs or, if you prefer that the ribs be falling-off-the-bone tender, cook for 30 minutes, adjusting the burner as necessary.If using an electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, cook at high pressure for 20 minutes for tender ribs or, if you prefer ribs that are falling-off-the-bone tender, cook for up to 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn the cooker off. Do not let the pressure cooker automatically switch to the “warm” setting.
- Use the natural method to release the pressure in the cooker. Unlock and remove the lid. Using tongs, move the ribs, bone-side up, to a rack placed on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Let the cooking liquid in the pressure cooker rest for several minutes to allow the fat to rise to the surface.
- Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and adjust an oven rack to the top or second position.
- While the broiler heats, spoon off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Place the stove-top cooker over medium heat or turn the electric cooker to “brown” or “saute” and bring the stock to a vigorous simmer. Cook until the stock is reduced to 1/3 of the original volume, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, and continue simmering for 6 to 8 minutes more, or until the sauce resembles a thick syrup. Remove from the heat.
- Baste the bone side of the ribs with some of the mustard sauce. Slide the ribs under the broiler until the sauce is bubbling, about 4 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, turn the ribs over, and baste with the remaining glaze. Return to the broiler until warmed through, about 6 minutes. Cut the ribs into 1- or 2-rib sections and serve.
Notes
- Add some spice–For a flavor boost, swap in your favorite dry rub for the salt and pepper.
- Make it easier–If you don’t want to reduce the liquid to make a glaze, you can discard the liquid and simply brush the ribs with your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce.
- Dietary–This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Ribs are generally relegated to the weekend when we have enough time to complete the arduous task. No more! I’ve tried many methods and recipes for preparing the perfect porcine delight. Smoking, oven-roasting, and on and on and on. These ribs are as fine as any that I’ve made. The most exciting thing? I can roll in the door at 5:30 p.m., hit the shower, and still have amazing ribs on the table by 7 p.m.
If you want to add a bit of smoke, how about some smoked sea salt? The rib meat was very tender yet still firm and close to falling off the bone. If I could use just one word, that word would be astonishing!
If you don’t own a pressure cooker, this pressure cooker ribs recipe alone justifies the purchase.
Pressure cooking ribs is absolutely my new go-to method. The ribs were falling off the bone tender at 25 minutes, just the way we like them.
Removing the membrane from the backside of the ribs isn’t difficult but many brands offer ribs pre-packaged with the membrane already removed. Also, most behind-the-counter butchers will do this for you if you ask. Glazing the ribs under the broiler yielded a “cooked on the grill” appearance with a nice caramelized glaze.
Using a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, I was able to lay the full slab of ribs on its side on top of the steamer insert and coil it around the pressure cooker bowl. This was a nice alternative to cutting the ribs into pieces and trying to keep them standing upright.
On my second try at this recipe, I wanted to get more flavor on the ribs so I used my favorite rib rub instead of salt and pepper. The brown sugar and Dijon mustard glaze is nice but I prefer discarding the broth and fat that cooks out of the ribs and finishing with our favorite Memphis-style BBQ sauce. If that’s what you try, feel free to substitute 1 cup of water in place of the beef broth or experiment with other liquids like apple juice or even root beer. Just remember to use 1 cup of liquid to get enough pressure for cooking.
Depending on the size of your cooker, you might be able to make more than one rack of ribs at a time – check your cooker manual.
Spare ribs are exactly the kind of food I’d really rather eat at home, where one can unabashedly eat with one’s hands and lick one’s fingers, but this never happens at our house—too much epic prep and time for 2 people—so I eagerly accept invitations for BBQ ribs from friends with smokers and maybe some Texas experience.
While I was excited to see this recipe for pressure cooker ribs, I was also skeptical that such a simple approach would work. With the confidence of my pressure-cooker-loving spouse, we took this recipe on.
What I love about this pressure cooker pork ribs recipe is that while it may not be something you always want to do on a weeknight, these are short-timeline spare ribs, and the recipe works for just 2 people! We actually made it twice. Batch one was strictly according to the recipe and at the low end of the time at just 20 minutes under pressure (2 rings on a 7 liter Kuhn Rikon stove-top pressure cooker, using induction hob).
For the second batch, we extended the pressure time to 30 minutes. The second batch was also from the larger, fleshier end of the rack and gave off a bit more fat. At 30 minutes, you have fall-off-the-bone meat, followed by just-short-of-blistering charred crispness from the broiler. If you can leave your oven door open when your broiler operates, you’ll do well to stand right there and monitor it.
The height of our tall pressure cooker made separating and reducing the liquid awkward, so I poured the cooking liquids into a gravy separator and then decanted that into a smaller saucepan that a short cook could easily watch and stir. I had to watch my broiler like a hawk, even dropping the ribs down to the third position, which was 6 1/2 inches away from the element, and I dialed back the broil setting shy of full high and snatched the ribs out a couple minutes early on each side.
I just got an 8qt instant pot and would like to try your recipe. I have 3 racks of baby back ribs. If my pot can hold them can I put it all in. The 8qt is huge so I don’t think I’ll have a problem. But having everyone over for Super Bowl and a new cooking method is making me nervous. I do not really want to do a bunch of small batches as I hate being stuck in the kitchen the whole time people are over.
Magee, I completely understand your concern and share your belief that one should not be sequestered in the kitchen when friends are over. We only tested this recipe in a pressure cooker, not an Instant Pot, and so I’m sorry but I can’t say whether they all will fit or not. Just a thought, but what about cooking the ribs a little earlier in the day in the Instant Pot, letting them cool, wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerating them, and then do the last step of broiling them when guests are there?
My variations was to open a can of pineapple chunks & dump it in. I added 1 cup of water just to the bottom of the steamer rack & rubbed in sea salt & black pepper, then çooked 20 minutes with natural release. Slathered with BBQ sauce & broiled until sauce caramelized. Have never, ever, tasted anything better.
Thanks for sharing your trick with others, Conne V.!
My first effort, I used a 4.8 lb slab of regular ribs (not baby back), cut up to fit in the electric cooker. I turned it off after 25 minutes and let it cool naturally for 15 minutes before venting. Everything is off the bone, nearly shredded, and way too much liquid lost from the ribs. That’s not what I want in ribs! Next time, I am venting as soon as the time is up.
Hey, DAE, I wonder if the fact that you almost tripled the amount of meat caused the problem. We tested the recipe as written and there were no issues with the meat shredding or with excess liquid.