We don’t cook baby back ribs that often, but when we do, we usually do a wet marinade. This time we decided to try our hands at creating a Memphis style rub for a change of pace and it turned out quite delicious. We cooked the ribs on the grill, but we didn’t put them directly on the rack, but instead used a foil-lined baking sheet. They turned out to be moist and tender with just enough spice to have a little zing. The rub is something that could be used on different types of meat such as pork or chicken as well. We matched it with a Southwestern Pasta Salad that we’ll share the recipe for next week.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs – membrane removed
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Paprika (we used a hot paprika, but smoked paprika is fine)
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper or to taste
• 1/4 tsp All-Spice
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all of the spices in a bowl. Using your hands, rub the ribs generously with the spice mixture. Let the ribs marinade in the rub for 2 to 4 hours in order to let the flavors absorb into the meat. Heat a grill to a medium-low heat, about 325 degrees. Place the ribs, bone-side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with a non-stick spray. Set the baking sheet onto the grill and close the lid, keeping the heat around 325 degrees. After 10 minutes, flip the ribs to meat-side down. After another 10 minutes flip the ribs back to bone-side down. Cook another 10 minutes and remove from the grill. Let the ribs rest for about 5 minutes, then cut into individual ribs and serve.