Barbecue Seasonal Suggestions

Pork Baby Back Ribs

It is a given that ribs are one of the more tender cuts of meat and perfect for the casual gatherings of the barbecue season. There are many opinions on how is best to prepare them. Dry or Wet Rubs, Grill or Oven, Cooking temps. Here is one that I thought that I would pass on and then let you decide how it stacks up against your favorite one.

The most important ingredient for this one is bacon fat. That's right bacon fat with a "f" not a "ph." So start saving your bacon fat now, being sure to strain out of the scrap solids and grit. When the fat cools, wrap and store somewhere refrigerated.

Now, when it is the day before the big cook out here is what you do.

1. Take the solid state bacon fat and rub over every square inch of your rib rack(s)
2. Apply the dry or wet rub on top of the bacon fat and then wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate overnight until ready to cook the next day

Dry Rub
2 Part Coarse Black Pepper
3 Part Brown Sugar
.5 Part Cayenne
.5 Part Dry Mustard
.25 Part cumin
.5 Part Garlic Powder
.5 Part Onion Powder
.25 Part cinnamon

Now when it is time to cook, give yourself plenty of time to do it properly. Make sure you bring your oven or grill up to temperature first before you even take the ribs out of the plastic wrap. The temperature should be low; between 200-225 degrees. Then put your ribs on. If you're using an oven make sure you use a roasting rack inside of your roasting pan as you'll want air flow underneath the protein to make sure of even cooking and so it won't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Flip the rib rack about every 45minutes to a hour to also facilitate even cooking. It will probably take somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 hours to cook until done. How do you know when they're done? There are two ways to check. 1. An internal temperature of 145 degrees. 2. The rib bones pull right out

About the last hour or so of cooking brush on your favorite barbecue sauce on both sides if you want a glaze.

Bacon Fat is the key here! Enjoy.