Babyback Ribs: Heaven on a Plate

I don't think food can get much better than ribs. Falling off the bone, tender meat, glazed with a sweet sticky sauce, it just makes me swoon. The guys I work with are always keeping me informed of the rib sales, so last time they were on sale, I got us a rack and they have been sitting in the freezer calling to me.

I was out of the rib rub they gave me, so I turned to "The Joy of Cooking" for inspiration. This is what I came up with:

Rib Rub
1/4 cup Chili powder
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup pepper
2 T salt
2 T cayenne powder
2 T cumin
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix it all together and sprinkle liberally onto ribs and let sit in fridge a while to marinate (I did 2 hours, but if I had been more organized I would have started them the night before so they could sit longer.) I used less salt than called for in the original recipe since the ribs I bought were brined.

Wrap the ribs tightly in foil and bake in a 225 degree oven for 3-4 hours. Add a can of beer (although the original recipe called for a cup of apple juice) and bake for another hour. Using the drippings from the foil pouch, make a sauce to coat the ribs with. (Fire up your grill before starting this so it will be waiting for you.)

Sauce:
Saute a clove of garlic in a Tbsp of olive oil. Add the drippings from the foil pouch and bring to a boil. Add a Tbsp of tomato paste and honey or brown sugar to taste. Allow the sauce to boil and reduce about 5-10 minutes.

Baste ribs with sauce and put on grill, turning every couple of minutes continuing to baste after each turn. I usually apply sauce to each side 2-3 times, allowing the ribs to blacken slightly.

Serve with sauce on the side.