Ribs You've Gotta Try and the Store With 'Em

I'm normally not a big proponent of ribs. I like barbecue ribs just fine, but they're messy and usually provide very little meat for the effort. Give me a pork steak and be done with it already. But, Aldi — yes the Aldi, the little grocery store with private label “cheap brands” — has rib meat already removed from the bones in their frozen meats section that is better than any ribs I've ever tasted before. They're marinated in a healthy pool of hickory barbecue sauce of excellent quality, ready to be placed in the oven and served in about an hour or two. The meat has a robust barbecue flavor and is extremely tender. I had some tonight and just writing about it makes me hungry for more.

When the aforementioned friends of the family came into town, my mother made a batch of these ribs and they were a humongous hit. In fact, the couple that was visiting us had previously had a bad experience with Aldi, but this convinced them that maybe the Stock-up Store wasn't so bad after all. If you have an Aldi in your area, you really should try to find some of these ribs before they go away — they're only here for the season. You'll find them right by the steaks in the freezer case.

And, while I'm on the subject, let me count the ways that I love Aldi. Sure, it has rock bottom prices, but it also has some of the best quality products anywhere. Period. If you've avoided Aldi because of their reputation as a “cheap place,” you ought to give them a chance. Every Aldi private label product is backed by an amazing “double guarantee” — if you aren't satisfied, they'll refund your money and give you a replacement of whatever you returned. Once we got a bad package of swiss cheese for example, and walked out of the store with a new package and a refund in hand. Aldi also gets special buys of normal brands, but often, Aldi's products taste better and are more consistent.

Their Grandessa premium line includes scrumptious pies, for example, that best not only other grocery stores, but also often some of my favorite restaurants (their chocolate silk is the best chocolate silk, bar none). They also have other premium products, like energy drinks; Aldi's Red Thunder has a very good, fruity taste and rings in at four cans for $2 at the moment (on sale) and normally just $3. Compare that to just one or two cans of Red Bull or some of the other popular drinks.

To top it off, you'll find special buys of computers, camcorders, scanners, printers, shoes, pools, furniture, and — at the moment — even car wax and fishing poles.