Outdoor Pork Baby Back Ribs

2 slabs of baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)

1 cup basic Barbecue Rib Rub

1. In a covered cooker, build a small fire in one half of the grill. Let the fuel become completely engulfed in flames, then wait a few minutes for the fire to burn down somewhat.

2. Rub the ribs thoroughly with the barbecue rub, put them on the half of the grill without fire under it, put the cover on the cooker, and vent slightly. Cook for 45 minutes, feeding the fire every 30 minutes or so to keep it going. Flip the ribs and cook them an additional 45 minutes, still feeding the fire regularly.

3. Remove the ribs from the fire and serve them dry (this is how the pros do it) with Basic All-American Barbecue Sauce on the side.

Barbecuing pork spareribs outdoors on a covered grill is not an easy task, since the large surface area of the ribs makes it hard to have more than one rib on the grill without having the meat directly over the flames. For this reason use baby back ribs in this recipe. Baby backs do not have the size or thickness of spareribs and come from the back of the pig where the meat is tenderer. While I think of that as cheating a little bit, since barbecuing is designed to break down tough meat, baby backs can carry the smoke flavor well and take less time and patience to cook. When you feel cocky with the baby backs, you can increase the level of difficulty by moving up a weight class.

• Serves 6 as an appetizer

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I would serve this in front of Grill-Seared Sushi-Quality Tuna with Soy, Wasabi, and Pickled Ginger or Grilled West Indies Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast with Grilled Banana.

Try: Barbecue Recipe- Duck Barbecue