Barbecued Ribs, Missouri Style: Home Version

2 full racks of 3/down pork spareribs For 1 cup basic Barbecue Rib Rub

2 tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chili powder

4 tablespoons paprika For 2 cups basting sauce

1¾ cups white vinegar

2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Let’s say dinner is at 6 P.M. Bright and early, so you can say that you’ve been cooking all day, preheat the oven to 180°F and rub the ribs thoroughly with the barbecue rub.

2. Place the ribs on baking sheets and put them in the oven for 3 hours. Don’t bother to turn them, because all you are doing is slow cooking and infusing spices.

3. Remove the ribs from the oven. They can stand out for a while, be refrigerated, covered, at this point for up to 2 days, or go right onto the grill.

4. You want a very low charcoal fire with the rack set as high as possible. Put the ribs on and let them stay there as long as your patience allows. A light crust on the outside and heat throughout is the goal, and depending on your fire, it can be achieved in 5 minutes per side or it can take up to ½ hour per side if you’re into prolonging your guests’ agony. Of course, the longer the ribs cook the better.

5. If you like your ribs “wet,” coat them with sauce just before removing them from the grill. (The other option is to serve the ribs “dry” with sauce on the side.)

6. Remove the ribs from the grill and cut in between the bones.

This method comes pretty close to true barbecuing, missing only the intense smoky flavor that can be achieved only by 3 hours of slow barbecuing. The ribs are coated with a mixture of spices, then cooked slowly in the oven and finished on the grill. The most important part of barbecuing is the slow cooking of the meat, which allows it to become tender without drying out. The term “3/down” refers to the weight of the ribs. In this case, it is 3 pounds or under for each slab of 10 to 12 ribs. This recipe is easily halved or doubled. Just keep the proportion of the rub to the sauce 2:1.

• Serves 5 hungry folks

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve them with the traditional accompaniments: Tidewater Coleslaw, Grandma Wetzler’s Baked Beans, East Coast Grill Corn Bread or a couple of slices of cheap white bread, and watermelon, as is the prevailing tradition in sparerib country.

Try: Barbecue Recipe- Outdoor Pork Baby Back Ribs