Ribs!

Love Ribs! How many people actually make them? They can be easy, and I have a great recipe. The inspiration came from Alton Brown on the Food Network, with a couple changes. If you have no time at all, ribs are great in the crockpot on low all day, then crisp them up on the grill and baste with BBQ sauce. This recipe is much more flavorful, and the braising really brings out wonderful flavor! I learned that dry rubs are to be "patted" on the meat, NOT rubbed in. So keep that in mind when seasoning. Give them a try...you won't be disappointed.

Baby Back Ribs

2 slabs baby back pork ribs (remove skin off back bones, or ask the butcher to do it for you)

salt & pepper

1 c. orange juice

1/3 c. ketchup

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

1 T. worcestershire sauce

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (or your favorite, I recommend this one)

Rub:

1 1/4 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. chili powder

1/4 c. garlic powder

1 T. ground thyme

1 T. cayenne pepper

1 T. allspice

Place rub ingredients in container and shake. (You can save leftover seasoning in a container for up to 3 months).

Season ribs with salt & pepper, and pat (don't rub) each rack with 3 tablespoons of the rub.

Wrap each slab, meat side down, in aluminum foil to create a little pouch - keep one end loose so you can open easily later. Refrigerate overnight, or about 8 hours. Pour 1/2 c. of orange juice in each pouch, seal ends, and bake on a sheet pan in a 260-degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours.

Open end of pouch and pour out the cooking liquid from the rib pouches in a large measuring cup. You may want to drain the fat off the top of the liquid. Put in a medium saucepan with brown sugar, ketchup, worcestershire, cumin, and cayenne, and bring to a boil, reducing by about half to a glaze consistency.

Cut rib slabs in about 4, place on a hot grill, and baste with the glaze first, then Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. Only grill for about 5-10 minutes to get them crispy. Grab some napkins and enjoy!