Grilling And Serving Pork Ribs With A Dry Spice Rub

For the Dry Rub: Mix ingredients together and store in a dry place.

Using either spareribs or baby backs, generously sprinkle the rub mix over both sides of the ribs and store them in large 2-gallon Ziplock bags for 3 or 4 days. Less time is acceptable, but the longer the better.

Grilling The Ribs: Some people boil ribs to render the fat out of them, and others prefer to do the whole process, from start to finish on the grill. In this recipe we suggest that you cook the ribs in a very low oven at 200 degrees for about two hours, and then transfer them to the grill and smoke them for another 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

The idea is to simulate a "real" pit BBQ, which ideally uses low heat and creates lots of smoke. Your gas grill is ideal because you can use the lowest settings and assure yourself of a steady and even heat source. The "smoky" side of the equation is easy. Using your smoker box accessory or even an old 6 inch frying pan over one of the burners, fill with presoaked wood chips, the flavor of your choice and let nature take its course. One method is to use only the one burner under your wood chips. The heat setting should be set at medium to low. A handful of chips will produce as much smoke as a small bag of charcoal. Add more as needed.

To cook the ribs, place them on the warming rack, as far away from the heat as you can, and forget them for 3 hours. If you feel the need, you can turn them every hour or so, but you don't have to do anything until the last hour.

For the Rib Basting Sauce: Mix everything together and paint the upper side of the ribs. Turn the ribs every 20 minutes and repeat the process during the last hour or hour and a half of cooking. The idea of using a thin sauce is to moisten and add color to the ribs without burning them. Save your regular sauce until later.

Serving The Ribs: You can tell when the ribs are done by tearing away one of the little ribs on the small end and eating it. If it tears away very easily and it tastes good, the ribs are ready to eat. The texture should be moist and tender.

Cut the ribs into serving portions. Cut the ribs into 3 or 4 bone portions depending on whether you're cutting from the small end or the large end. Baby backs are usually served in half slab portions.

This recipe yields ?? servings.