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Dan Delaney’s ribs

  1. Buy some ribs. I recommend spare ribs, trimmed in what’s called a St. Louis cut. But untrimmed spares or baby backs are great too.
  2. Put a super thin coating of mustard on the ribs. This ads some acid to the fatty protein, which will make for a more even flavor when cooked. It also helps the rub adhere.
  3. Make a rub with:
    • 2 parts salt
    • 2 parts pepper
    • 1 part onion powder
    • 1 part garlic powder
    • 1/2 part paprika
    • 1/2 part chili powder
  4. Sprinkle the ribs with a light and even coating of this rub. Focus more on the meaty side, and less on the underside.
  5. The cooking method we’re going to use today isn’t what we do at the restaurant. Instead it’s a very popular home cooking technique called 3-2-1. The principle is that you cook the ribs for 3 hours unwrapped right on the grill, then two hours in foil, and one hour back unwrapped.
  6. So, if you have a grill, use it. Keep the temp low and the heat source off to the side. If you don’t have a grill, lay the racks of ribs out on sheet trays in your oven, and cook at 250 for three hours.
  7. While they’re cooking, mix something sweet together. This can be Apple Juice, Vinegar, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Brown Sugar… You don’t need all of these things, and could very well just use Apple Juice. If you want things to be more sticky red sweet bbq, throw in some ketchup. If you want it fattier, add some butter. But don’t follow a strict recipe, and have fun with it. Cook down this sauce on your stove until it’s consistent and free of lumps. Taste it, add salt if you need.
  8. After the ribs have been cooking for three hours, take them out. Rip a piece of foil large enough to totally wrap around the ribs. Put some sauce in the foil, add a rack, sauce the top, and wrap them tightly. Do this for all of them.
  9. The back in the oven they go. At this point, the steam will get trapped inside and basically braise the meat, breaking down connective tissue and making them very tender.
  10. Peek at the ribs after an hour. If the bones are protruding, they’re close to done. If not, let them go longer.
  11. When the bones are poking out, unwrap them, give them one more glaze of your sauce, and crank the heat up to 400 for about 15 minutes. This will make the ribs tighten up, and won’t be so flaccid.
  12. Take them out, let them rest on the counter for about a half hour. Slice, and enjoy!

Notes