Guest post | Miss Chefy's Kitchen

So the obstacles to my menu coming out as planned just keep coming this week. We had tons of leftover soup and pasta from the last two nights and I had a hard day, so we decided to just do leftovers tonight. I’ll write a new post tomorrow, but in the meantime here is an interesting read to tide you over…

While I was away on business, my bf decided to experiment with a new rib recipe (clearly the blogging has gotten a bit addictive in our family). Here is the recipe for his Memphis-style wet baby back ribs. The rub:

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/meatheads_magic_dust.html

Total time from the beginning of preparation to your first bite: approx. 5 hours.

First, remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs. This allows the rub to penetrate the meat and the fat to render off as the ribs cook.

Then, mix together and apply the rub to both sides of the ribs. I love this rub, so I use it liberally. Read the recipe for tips on application. At the very least, make sure you have dusted and gently patted down the rub onto every surface (or cover the whole thing, like I do). Let the ribs sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

When cooking the ribs, it’s important to keep them off of the cooking surface. I recommend using a cookie sheet or pan with sides that come up at least one inch, and then put the ribs on a cooling rack that fit on top of the pan. This is to make sure that the fat can render, and….

Fill the pan with water, making sure that the water is not actually touching the ribs, and then place tin foil over the entire pan, forming a tent over the ribs. This will keep the air inside the foil and around the ribs humid, preventing them from drying out as they cook. Set the oven at 275. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the ribs, but generally you will be cooking at 275 with the foil over the ribs for 2.5 – 3 hours. If you have more than one rack of ribs, try to make sure that they are the same weight, and add thirty minutes in the foil. When you can stick a toothpick through the pork and pull it out without much force, you’re ready for the next step.

Take the foil off of the pan and continue to cook for about thirty minutes longer. The ribs will most likely have some water accumulation on top from being in the foil — this thirty minutes will dry the ribs off and allow the rub to form a good strong crust.

Then, take the ribs out of the oven. Get your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Ray’s) and coat both sides of the ribs. Don’t go overboard! Only apply enough to cover the entire surface of the ribs, but don’t put so much on that BBQ sauce is dripping everywhere. Using too much BBQ sauce is a fast way to ruin a good cut of meat. After you’ve “painted” the ribs, put them into the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or just long enough to get the BBQ sauce to start sizzling.