Garlicky Barbequed Ribs

The final step- a coating of BBQ sauce and a few minutes on the grill.

This week has been a sort of boring food week, so forgive me for not posting.  Don't get me wrong, the food has been good, just not all that exciting- pasta, stuffed peppers, burgers, and trying to figure out what to do with yet another mountain of peaches from my CSA.  That all changed last night.  I decided to break out the dinner doldrums and make one of my all-time favorites and a definite family pleaser, my garlicky ribs.

Over the years I've tried all sorts of ways to make ribs and the recipe that follows is the best way that I have found to get get tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs with a great flavor and a bit of the smoky BBQ-ness that I really crave in a rack of baby backs.  I never did copy down the original source for the method, so I apologize to whatever publication it came from.  But over the years, I've tweaked it enough that  I now consider it mine.

This is a great recipe for company.  Get a few racks of ribs, throw them in the oven the day before, let them cool off, refrigerate them over night and then grill them when you're ready to eat.  Make plenty though, they always go quickly.

Garlicky Barbequed Ribs
You can use baby back ribs or pork spareribs, though I prefer the baby backs.

1 rack baby back ribs
6 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (use as much or as little as you like, I tend to use the lesser amount so the heat doesn't overwhelm the garlic)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp canola oil

The rub ingredients

In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients except for the ribs (duh!) until they make a loose paste.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lay the ribs on the foil.  Pour the rub over the ribs and spread over both sides.  Let the ribs rest on the counter for 30-60 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

Let the ribs rest for a while and the rub will soak in.

Pour 1/2 cup water in the pan and then tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil.  The water will heat up and essentially steam the ribs while in the oven.  The end result will be a moist, tender rib that falls right off the bone.  Roast the ribs for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.  They're ready when you lift the ribs off the pan with a pair or tongs and they nearly fall apart.

The finished product

Preheat the grill to medium high.  Grill the ribs for 6-8 minutes per side, basting each side once with BBQ sauce.  Two tips here- first, use a smoky, not a sweet, BBQ sauce, it will compliment the rub better.  Second, keep an eye on the ribs while they grill and leave the lid of the grill open.  The sauce will burn easily if you're not careful.  Let the rack rest on the counter for a few minutes and then cut between the bones to separate the ribs.  Serve with extra sauce.

The meat will be falling right off the bone if you've done them correctly.