Chris Berry On The Net

With summer rapidly approaching, I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite recipes. BBQ Ribs may not be in keeping with my new healthy lifestyle, but they are the kind of occasional indulgence that make life worth living. If you treat yourself to something truly decadent every once in a while, you will enjoy it even more. If I’m ever crazy enough to go back into the food business, I would probably open a rib shack.

True barbeque aficionados will insist that the only way to cook ribs is in a smoker. This is a laborious process that requires specialized equipment few of us own, and even fewer of us know how to use. There is an easier way, and it is possible to cook ribs at home to rival your favorite barbeque restaurant.

When shopping for ribs, you have several cuts to choose from. Baby backs tend to be the most popular, and the most expensive. Contrary to popular belief, these do not come from baby pigs. They are called babies simply because they are cut into shorter sections than spareribs. They are cut from the back of the hog where the ribs connect to the spine. They are less meaty than spareribs, but they also contain less fat. Because of this, they require the shortest cooking time, and they prone to drying out.

Spareribs are the section of the ribcage connected to the breastbone. The bones are larger and flatter, and they contain more meat and fat than baby backs. When the rib tips are removed from the spareribs, the resulting rectangular slabs are known as St. Louis style ribs. These are my personal favorite since they offer the best fat to lean ratio.

Preparing the ribs is relatively simple but time consuming. The nice thing is that once you put them in the oven, you can forget about them for several hours. I’ve been known to get in a quick round of golf while they cook, and the feast is nearly ready when I’m finished.

Ingredients

1 rack Baby Back or St. Louis Style Ribs
¼ cup dry rub spice mixture of your choice
1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice

Technique

The bottom side of the ribs are covered with a very tough membrane that you must remove before cooking. The easiest method is to peel it back from a corner with your fingernail, then grab it with a paper towel to peel it away. It should come off in one piece if you are careful.

Place the ribs curved side up on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Blot dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle generously with the spice mixture. Even though it is called dry rub, don’t rub it in. Wrap the ribs tightly in foil, and then wrap again with a second layer. No matter how carefully you wrap them, the packages will still leak, so be sure to place them in a shallow roasting pan. Baby backs will need to cook for around 2 ½ hours in a 250 degree oven, while St; Louis or spareribs will need an additional 30 to 45 minutes depending on size.

After the initial cooking time, remove the ribs from their foil package and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place the ribs back in the pan and baste the meaty side generously with sauce. Return to the oven for 10 minutes and baste again. Repeat 3 or 4 times until a shiny caramelized glaze forms.

Dry Spice Blend

There are hundreds of dry rub spice blends on the market. You can use anyone that you like, or you can blend your own. Here is my personal blend. A small digital kitchen scale is very handy for creating spice blends. If you don’t have one, simply blend these ingredients according to the proportions listed.

Paprika: 150 Grams or 3 parts
Chili Powder: 50 Grams or 1 part
Brown Sugar: 50 Grams or 1 part
Garlic Powder: 25 Grams or ½ part
Cayenne Pepper: 12 Grams or ¼ part
Ground Cumin: 12 Grams or ¼ part
Dried Mustard: 12 Grams or ¼ part
Black Pepper: 12 Grams or ¼ part
Salt: 12 Grams or ¼ part

Sauce

There are probably even more sauces on the market than there are spice blends. I like to start with plain old Kraft Thick ‘n’ Spicy Original, then liven it up with a healthy dose of pureed chipotle peppers and frozen orange juice concentrate.