Baby Back Ribs

1. Choose a meaty baby back ribs around 800-1000g.
2. For more succulent ribs you may trim off the flap meat above the actual rib bones.
3. Do not discard the meat as you can use it in other dishes.
4. Clean off most of the fat, then peel off as much of the membrane on the inside bones as possible. This is to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat better.
5. Mix in a bowl the following ingredients for the marinade: equal parts red wine vinegar and citrus juices (orange, lemon…etc.), 1 tbsp each of dark brown sugar, freshly ground black pepper, lemon pepper, Tabasco, and 1 tsp of garlic powder (or a few cloves of fresh-squeezed garlic).
6. Put the ribs in a gallon zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over the ribs. Squeeze the air out before closing the bag to promote the constant contact of the marinade against the meat. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours, turning a few times.
7. Pull out the ribs and let the marinade drip and then pat the ribs down with a paper towel. The ribs do not need to be absolutely dry.
8. Coat the ribs liberally with any DRY RUB mix you want. Dry rubs are basically any salt, sugar, spices or herbs (dry or fresh) that you want to use.
9. Experiment with a basic dry rub mix of equal parts of salt and sugar. Then add to that mixture and equal part of black pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cumin. Don’t be afraid to add more and adjust it to your taste.
10. Pre-heat the oven 200’F.
11. In a baking dish lay out a layer of white onions about ¾ of an inch thick to elevate the ribs. Place the ribs on top of the onions and add water in the baking dish but make sure you don’t immerse the ribs. Cover the pan but make sure the cover does not touch the ribs otherwise moisture will fall on the ribs.
12. Cook the ribs for about 2-2½ hours adding water if it dries out. After 1½-2 hours remove the cover and continue baking.
13. Pull out the ribs before they are no longer soft when squeezed between the bones so as not to let them get dry and tough.

Serve with buttered corn and carrots as your side dish as well as your favorite BBQ sauce. Another variation of cooking this is by smoking it on an outdoor grill in very low heat for 5-6 hours. Add wood chips 3-4 times during grilling. It is not necessary to smoke continuously. Big thanks to Mark and Pilar Hardin for introducing me to the wonderful tastes of dry rubs.