J-Man's Ribs

Braised and grilled pork spareribs. Trying to put together my go-to rib recipe so I don't have to search all over for the rub, sauce, method.

• Ready In: 5 hrs
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 4 ribs

Ingredients

• Rub

• 1⁄4 cup paprika
• 1  tablespoon brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1  teaspoon  celery salt
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1  teaspoon dry mustard
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  teaspoon onion powder

• Ribs

• 2  pork spare rib racks
• 3⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 3⁄4 cup  apple juice
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• 2  tablespoons honey

• BBQ Sauce

• 1  cup ketchup
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3 -4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  dried onion flakes (could probably use fresh onion too)
• 1  tablespoon prepared brown mustard (any mustard is fine)
• 1  tablespoon chili powder
• 1  teaspoon cayenne (depends on your audience, I usually omit because of Mrs. J-Man)

• Smoke

•  mequite hickory, etc  wood chips

Directions

1. Mix all the rub ingredients (I always have a jar handy - great for pulled pork too).
2. Prepare ribs (rinse off, peel silverskin if necessary, etc). Lay each on top of large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle ribs with dry rub on both sides and massage into ribs Wrap ribs up and refrigerate at least for one hour and preferably overnight.
3. Soak woodchips.
4. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
5. Mix orange juice, apple juice, wine and honey.
6. Place ribs on lipped baking sheet (to catch any spillage). Open the aluminum carefully and pour half the braising liquid onto each rack. Seal carefully and leave seam-side up so liquid does not spill.
7. Bake for 2.5 - 3 hours until bones start to appear. This can be done the day before or earlier in the day (I often make this part of the ribs at home and then finish at the bbq).
8. Pour braising liquid into measuring cup and refrigerate long enough for fat to coagulate on the top. Remove fat. I tend to add a bit more dry-rub to the ribs at this point.
9. Combine braising liquid (optional) with rest of BBQ sauce ingredients and cook over a low boil until the proper thickness (only about 5 minutes if you don't use the braising liquid -- 30 minutes or so if you do).
10. Start a charcoal grill set for indirect heat (or you can use a gas grill with the burners turned off under the ribs).
11. You can put the ribs on a rib rack or (as I like to) cut them into individual ribs and place in a disposable aluminum pan. Slather some bbq sauce on the ribs and place pan over the middle of the grill (with coals on the sides). Toss a handful of soaked woodchips on each pile of coals. Cook for 30-60 minutes - enough to heat up and work some smoke and bbq sauce into ribs Add some more chips and bbq sauce as you turn the ribs.