You dont need a fancy smoker to make these real-deal ribs.

Smokestacks wafting the scent of slow-cooked meats through the air are like a beacon pulling my tastebuds home.

Look for varieties that include hickory or apple wood smoke flavors.

Saucy country-style ribs and a small glass bowl of BBQ sauce with a spoon on a baking sheet pan

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

My favorite barbecue sauces areKraft Original,Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar, andStubbs Hickory Bourbon.

Theyre done when the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.

Sauce them just before serving with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.

Five saucy country-style ribs on a blue plate, next to a fork

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Fully cover the bottom and sides of two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Arrange the ribs on the baking sheets so they are close together but not touching.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the ribs, covering all sides of each rib.

A hand holding tongs grabbing a country-style rib of a serving plate with more ribs

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Pat the salt and pepper into the meat with your hands so it sticks.

Arrange the ribs with their fatty sides facing up, then cover the baking sheets tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake until the meat is easily pulled apart with a fork, about 2 hours.

If it is too tough to pull apart easily, cook for an additional 15 minutes and check again.

Continue until a fork easily pulls the meat apart.

Remove the ribs from the oven and reduce the temperature to 275F.

Using tongs, gently transfer the ribs to a large plate.

Discard the used aluminum foil and re-line the baking sheets with fresh foil.

Return the ribs to the baking sheets.

Bake the ribs, uncovered, until the sauce begins to form a crust-like appearance, about 1 hour.

Allow the ribs to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Recipe Variation

you could change up the flavors in this recipe in many different ways.

I love trying out different barbecue rubs likeMcCormick Grill Mates Sweet and Smoky RuborDaks Salt-Free BBQueen.

The rubs add more complex flavors like smoke, spice, and sweetness.