It is no secret to those who know me that ribs are second only to prime rib on my list of favorite meats. There has only been one, possibly two times in my life where a rib has disappointed me.

This is not one of those days.

I usually have dripping, wet, need-to-take-a-shower-after ribs. It just seems to be the American way -- give me sloppy ribs or give me death, or something like that. Slather those ribs in barbecue sauce, then add some more. I want to wipe sauce from my elbow when I'm finished.

But the ribs I made using Ray "Dr. BBQ" Lampe's book "Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings" as a guide were not messy. In fact, this is probably the easiest possible rib recipe. At 3.5 hours of cooking time, it's also one of the quickest.

So I was skeptical. Here I am, cooking ribs at almost half the time I have in the past, without BBQ sauce. Give me death.

But what I thought would be a dry, tough meal, turned out to be a succulent delight. The rub caramelized early in the smoking and packed in the juices from the ribs themselves. Oh. My. God.

Then it was just a slow cook until these crispy, juicy fall-off-the-bone delights were ready to eat. And eat we did. And eat the leftovers we shall. Give me ribs!

Big Chuck Tries It

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Here's what you need:

2 slabs pork loin back ribs

Rib Rub:
1 cup Sugar In The Raw
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic pouder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

1. Make the Rub

Combine all rub ingredients and mix well.

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2. Season the Ribs

2-4 hours before you plan to cook, peel the membrane off the back of the ribs and season liberally on both sides with the rib rub. I used about half the rub to season both slabs. Return to refrigerator.

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3. Cook Ribs

Cook the ribs at 300 degrees over indirect heat. Place ribs directly on the rack, meat side up, for one hour. Then, flip and cook for 30 minutes. Flip again and cook for 30 more minutes. Next, remove ribs to platter and wrap each rib tightly in foil, creating a seal around the meat. Return to grill, meat side up, for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the ribs from foil, increase heat to 400 degrees. Return ribs to grill and sprinkle additional rub over top. Cook for five minutes, flip and repeat for 5 minutes.

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Wrap in foil
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Final stage -- sprinkle rub, Credit: TSM
Final stage -- sprinkle rub, Credit: TSM
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4. Plate

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5. Take a Bite Shot

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