BBQ Pork Ribs

Basic Rub Ingredients:

1/4 cup Kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/4 cup paprika
cayenne pepper (to taste)
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Mix rub ingredients together and store in a sealed jar in a cool dry place

The Dude's Doctored Barbecue Sauce:

1 cup of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce 1/4 cup honey 1/4 apple juice 1 teaspoon rub
Mix the ingredients together. It will be sweet with a taste of the rub. You could experiment with adding other ingredients but I use this a lot.

Ribs:
I usually get my baby back ribs from Sam's Club so they come 3 slabs to a package. For this recipe you could use St. Louis cut ribs or full spare ribs. You would have to adjust your cooking time. 3 slabs of baby back ribs.

Preparation:
On the back side of the ribs there is a tough membrane. For nice and tender ribs that membrane has to be removed. Get a butter knife or the back end of a spoon and work its way under the membrane and meat. I start at the small end. Work the membrane up enough so you can get a finger or two under the the membrane and pull it off. It might be helpful to use a paper towel to grab the membrane with. If you are using spare ribs there is a flap of meat that needs to be cut off. Save the meat for later. Pat down the ribs with a paper towel.

Sprinkle both sides of the ribs with your favorite rub or the basic rub above. Start your grill (low heat 250 to 300 degrees indirect cooking) or smoker (250 to 275 degrees). After the grill / smoker comes up to temperature place the meat side up. You could also use a rib rack if you so desire. Cook for about 2 hours. Now comes the secret sauce and tenderizing!

Secret Sauce Tenderizing:
You'll need about 1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup apple cider or juice and tin foil for each slab. I prefer cider.

Take the ribs out of the grill / smoker and place each slab on a double layer of aluminum foil. On the meat side spread the honey over the ribs. After the honey spread the brown sugar over the ribs. Turn the ribs meat side down and wrap the ribs in double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil. Just before sealing add the apple juice to the packet. Place the rib packets in the grill / smoker. If you can kick up the heat by 50 degrees.

Finishing:
After 45 minutes to an hour, remove the rib packets from the cooker. Cut the temperature of your cooker down to 200 - 225 degrees. Carefully open the packets. Caution the insides will be hot and steamy. Take a sauce brush and brush the backside of the ribs with the liquid inside the packet. Turn the slab over and brush the meat side with the liquid. Place the ribs back on the grill/smoker until done. About 15 minutes before removing the slabs baste with BBQ sauce. Total cooking time will be 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.