Ribs that cook in half the time for an easy cottage meal

Simplicity is key when cooking on vacation, but how to build flavour fast when you're making a summer standby? That's where this recipe from Andrea Buckett’s The Essential Cottage Cookbook comes in — these sweet and sticky ribs are ready in half the usual time (hence their name). 

And below, Buckett shares her recipes for a home-made spice mix and barbecue sauce. But to cut the prep time even more, you can swap in pre-made, ideally with contrasting flavour profiles. “So if you buy a spicy spice mix, opt for a sweet BBQ sauce or vice versa,” she said. 

If you’re with a bigger group, Buckett said you can scale up the recipe without much fuss. It’s as easy as adding another rack or two of ribs, cut into three-rib portions, to the cooking liquid and using two cups of barbecue sauce instead of one. 

For an effortless side, pair it with a pre-shredded bag of coleslaw with dressing. And while we highly doubt there will be leftovers, Buckett said they make great sandwiches the next day. Simply remove the meat from the bones, mix in some barbecue sauce, and reheat!  

The following has been reprinted, with permission, from The Essential Cottage Cookbook: Simply Delicious Recipes for Cottages, Cabins, and Wherever Your Travels Take You.

Half-Time Ribs

By Andrea Buckett

The term half-time isn’t a nod to football in this case; rather, it signifies that the ribs cook in “half the time” (or less!) of standard rib recipes. Instead of cooking low and slow in the oven for a couple of hours, these ribs take a quick dip in a delicious simmering bath of beer, soy sauce, and onions. This trick yields less unctuous and fatty but surprisingly tender, flavor-infused ribs. You can do 90 percent of the work at home and enjoy barbecue ribs the first night you arrive at your destination—a bonus when you’re on vacation and want to spend time enjoying the outdoors, not tending to a hot oven.

Ingredients

• Two racks pork back ribs (about 2¼ lb/1 kg each)
• 2 cups beer (about one 16 oz/473 ml can)
• 1 cup pickle brine
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed 2 onions, quartered
• Oil, for grilling
• 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Spice Blend (see below)
• 1 cup Lip-Smacking Barbecue Sauce (see below)

Preparation

1. to make it: Place the ribs meaty side down, with the ribs curving up toward you. Starting at a short end, draw the point of a sharp knife lengthwise down the center of the ribs, cutting through the thin membrane. Use your fingers to get underneath the first side of the membrane and begin to peel it off. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane to make it easier to remove the rest. Repeat with the other half. Do the same for the second rack of ribs. Cut each rack into three-rib portions.

2. Add the ribs to a large stockpot and cover with the beer, pickle brine, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and onions. Fill with enough water to cover the ribs. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the ribs stand in the pot for 10 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet, discarding the cooking liquid, and let cool for 15 minutes.

3. Wrap the cooled ribs in foil and transfer them to a large resealable bag or airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

4. to take it: Transport in a cooler and place in the fridge when you arrive.

5. to serve it: Preheat a clean barbecue to medium heat (325–350°F).

6. Brush the ribs with oil and dust with the spice blend. Place the ribs on the barbecue, bone side down, and slather the tops with barbecue sauce. Cook with the lid down for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs over and slather with more sauce. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on the ribs so the sugar in the sauce doesn’t burn. If they start to burn, move them to indirect heat and keep turning them. After 5 minutes, turn them one last time and baste with more sauce. Once the ribs are warmed through, they are ready to eat.

7. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

TIP: No pickle brine? Use whatever briny liquid you have on hand. Think olive brine, hot pepper brine, etc.

COTTAGE SWAP: Replace the spice blend and barbecue sauce with any store-bought versions you love.

Serves 4

All-Purpose Spice Blend

It’s always nice to have a jar of this all-purpose spice blend on hand. It only takes a couple of minutes to make, and you can use it on almost anything. It saves you from pulling out a bunch of spices every time you want to add a little seasoning to something. Used as a dry rub, it’s marvelous on pork, steak, chicken, or fish before grilling. It also adds a great punch of flavor when added to any number of vegetables, again before grilling or roasting.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

1. Add all the spices to a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine.

2. Store in a cool, dry area, where it will keep for up to 3 months.

Makes about ½ cup

Lip-Smacking Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce is an easy condiment to whip up. Yes, it uses a bunch of different ingredients, but you can always tweak it to your own taste. This one is punchy and well-rounded: a little sweet and a little tangy, with lots of great additions, like cocoa and allspice, to give it real depth of flavor. It takes no time to make and tastes significantly better than your run-of-the-mill grocery store variety.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fancy molasses

Preparation

1. In a small pot over medium-low heat, combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, cocoa, spices, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and molasses. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce begins to simmer. Turn the temperature down as low as possible, as the sauce will sputter, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

2. Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Makes about 2 cups

Excerpted from The Essential Cottage Cookbook: Simply Delicious Recipes for Cottages, Cabins, and Wherever Your Travels Take You by Andrea Buckett. Copyright © 2025 Andrea Buckett. Photography by Betty Shin Binon. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.