Victory Lap Ribs

Few can attest that their typical day in University involved coming home to a home cooked meal, which had been carefully crafted for a good part of the afternoon (people who lived with their parents don't count for this one, just as people who live with their parents' input generally isn't valid in life as a whole).

My roommate cringed at the thought having to boil ribs, a step that would reduce the cooking time, but invariably also reduce the delicious factor by an exponential amount.

Dedicated to the delicious as I have ever seen anybody, our dear roommate sought to never disappoint, and even went out of his way to stick around an extra year in order to do so.

And so he taught me this somewhat lengthy but incredibly simple technique of cooking ribs, the right way.

The recipe as I remember it tended to vary each time but essentially included some spices to dry rub the ribs, some liquid to ensure they don't get dry, and a fair quantity of your favorite commercial or homemade BBQ sauce. Not knowing what to do with all the herbs that resulted from my amazing gardening skills, I also chopped some of thems and added to the mix.

Listed below are my selected ingredients for the tasty dish:

3 Slabs of Back Ribs

A few table spoons of coffee grinds

Chili pepper flakes

Chocolate Mint (or regular mint), chopped real fine

A case of beer (1 for the food, the rest to be consumed during preparation)

BBQ Sauce

Salt & Pepper

The first step is rather critical, as it will ensure the "fall off the bone" effect that average steakhouses can't seem to achieve. Flip the ribs over, meat side down, and you will notice a skin or membrane-like layer. Make a few slits with your sharp ass knife so that you can get your fingers right in there and peel that sucker off.

Make yourself a little mix in a bowl with all the dry ingredients (Herbs, spices, coffee etc.). Apply lightly but firmly on the ribs, on both sides. Get your hands in there, be a man already and rub those ribs like you mean it!

Next, place them in a roasting pan, or anything deep enough to catch some juices. A cookie sheet will do worst case scenario. Pour in a little less than a full beer. I say a little less because you should get some of the love too. This is prime time for getting your evening started. If your instincts tell you to crack another and consume immediately, TRUST YOUR INSTINCT. This is precisely what Malcolm Gladwell was referring to in his bestseller "Blink". An experienced partyer, dear Malcolm would likely argue, knows precisely when the critical point is to commence a good night, versus a hesitant individual that would fear having consumed too much prior to guests arriving.

Cover the ribs with foil and put in the oven at a really low temperature, say 250.

From here, it's really up to you but the following worked rather well for me.

Cook for 2 hours. Bust them out. (they should look pretty much cooked through like the picture below) Lightly cover in BBQ sauce and cook for another 30 minutes.

Then remove them and generously cover in BBQ sauce. Add some smoky crispy deliciousness by putting on the Grill, low heat for 5-10 minutes each side. If you manage to get 3 racks on and off the grill without them falling apart, I applaud you good sir (madam).

As a side, I made a homegrown earth medley (potatoes, onions, leek, herbs) and I grilled some peaches and zucchinis, which were basted with the juices that the ribs released in their oven party. What carbon footprint I saved by eating local fruit and vegetables, I likely ingested by putting literally everything on the grill at one point.

To my dear roommate, this goes out to you. Can't wait to get to party again with you buddy.

Dan: This would be an opportune time to toss up your thoughts on Short Ribs and their superiority, along with some detailed instructions of course.

- Dave