Tony Roma Ribs | Presentation Tips for Pre-Cooked Ribs

There’s no denying the connection ribs have with down-home Southern cooking, messy fingers and dripping sauce. With pre-cooked ribs, a barbecue at home is not only simple, but also an excellent choice for any occasion. The key to offering pre-cooked ribs at your next celebration or event? It’s all in the presentation—a key component in barbecue challenges and other chef-related competitions. Without a doubt, people eat with their eyes before they even taste the food, so presentation is important when it comes to pork ribs, oven-baked or grilled.

Cutting Ribs

It may seem as though cutting pre-cooked ribs should be a simple task, but in reality it’s very easy to tear the meat—not exactly appealing to the eye, right? Try cutting along the bone to leave meat on both sides. For larger portions, leave two bones in each piece so that enthusiastic diners can tap their inner carnivore and tear the ribs apart themselves.

Simple Presentation

For a simple barbecue at home gathering, cut the pre-cooked ribs apart and arrange them on a glass or ceramic platter. A large dinner plate also works. Rather than pouring sauce all over the ribs, brush them lightly and serve additional sauce in a small, decorative dish on the side. Be sure to put a spoon or brush in the dish so that guests can add as much or as little sauce as they desire. Sprinkle the ribs with a little dry rub or chopped, fresh parsley. If you are in Texas, make sure there is a pickled jalapeno on the plate!

Elegant Presentations

Although pre-cooked ribs have a “casual food” reputation, it is possible (and quite easy) to create elegant preparations using greens and other food items to create beautiful plates for pork ribs, oven-baked or gilled. Place field greens, spring mix or other types of salad ingredients on a large plate and place the sliced ribs across the greens. Sprinkle with dry rub and serve sauce on the side. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or fresh parsley. You could also use mashed red potatoes as the base for the ribs.

Barbecue competitions often have strict requirements for the presentation of ribs, including making sure there is little bone visible, types of garnish permitted, and even cuts on the ribs. Pre-cooked ribs provide such a good option, however, your guests may not care what presentation you use. For restaurant-quality ribs that take only minutes to prepare, purchase some of Tony Roma’s delicious pre-cooked ribs today.

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