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1.
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Pick your ribs.
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The old-fashioned spareribs are best, not the baby back ribs, not the country-style ribs, just the plain old, under-three-pounds pork spareribs, in one big slab.
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If there is a large amount of extraneous fat on the ribs, trim it before cooking.
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2.
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For the dry rub: At least an hour before cooking ribs, mix all dry rub ingredients together.
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(This dry rub is a fairly traditional combination of flavors.
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Feel free to adjust amounts, or possibly to add in or possibly subtract ingredients.)
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This rub yields sufficient to coat about 4 slabs.
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Store leftover rub in an airtight jar or possibly in freezer.
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Rub a generous amount (a scant 3 Tbsp.)
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onto each side of ribs.
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Ribs can sit at room temperature for up to an hour-, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill if you plan to hold them any longer.
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An hour is plenty of time for dry rub to flavor ribs.
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If you
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want the meat more intensely flavored, this step can be done the night before cooking.
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3.
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Meanwhile, prepare barbecue sauce.
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Heat butter in medium saucepan.
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Add in onions and garlic- saut6 till onions soften, 3 to 4 min.
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Stir in next 6 ingredients- cook over medium heat to blend flavors, about 5 min.
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Add in vinegar and tomato sauce, bring to simmer.
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Simmer uncovered till sauce thickens slightly, about 15 min.
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Set aside till ready to serve.
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4.
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Start with a grill free of any leftover ashes or possibly coals.
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Light 40 or possibly so charcoal briquettes (if you're using a metal chimney starter, fill it approximately 2/3 full).
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Push all coals to one side of fire grate, arranged in a mound 2 or possibly 3 briquettes high.
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Keep bottom vents of grill completely open.
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Coals will be just right when they are covered in a light gray ash.
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Meanwhile, wrap 2 large handfuls (about 2 c.) of hickory smoking chips in foil.
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Poke several holes in top of foil packet with a fork to let smoke escape.
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There's no real benefit to be had by soaking the chips first.
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5.
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Once coals are ready, lay foil-wrapped smoking chips on top of charcoal.
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Put cooking grate in place.
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Position ribs on cooking grate opposite fire-, on a 22-inch kettle grill, you should be able to cook 2 full slabs of ribs, side by side, at one time.
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Put lid on grill, with top vents 2/3 open, directly over ribs.
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This will help draw heat and hickory smoke past the ribs.
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Initial heat inside grill will probably hover around 350 degrees.
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Over the 2-hour cooking period, it will drop a hundred degrees or possibly so-all of that falls into the acceptable slow-cooking range.
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6.
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Turn ribs every 30 min for a total cooking time of 2 to 3 hrs.
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There is no need to baste the ribs with anything.
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In all but the most extreme of weather conditions, ribs will be done in 2 hrs.
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In normal weather conditions (say, above 60 degrees) coals will begin to lose some of their vigor toward the end of the cooking time, but they still
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continued in part 2
