Backyard Baby Back Ribs

If you want to attract men, skip the implants, get a smoker, and save thousands. Wood smoke is a potent pheromone and you'll have every man in the neighborhood hanging out on your porch! Illustration by Gil Elvgren, 1958.

These backyard baby back ribs are definitely fool proof. I love this braising recipe from Alton Brown, it's easy and customizable.

Alton Brown uses this recipe for his Rub Number Nine:
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon allspice

Place all of the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine. Store for up to 3 months. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Instead I used this all purpose "magic mojo" made by Denny Mike's. It was great!

I sprinkled and then rubbed the ribs with the seasoning, placed meat side down and wrapped in foil then placed in the fridge to chill out overnight.

When you are ready to cook, open one side of the foil pouch and let's get ready to make the braising liquid.

I used orange juice, hot sauce, chinese chile sauce, and a splash of what was left in my orange spicy sauce.

I started with a half cup of OJ.

Added a tablespoon of chile hot sauce.

And a tablespoon of this Smokin' Hot Sauce.

And add whatever else you feel like, I added what was left of a prepared orange spicy marinade.

Pour the liquid right into the foil pouch.

Seal it up and place on a sheet pan in the oven.

Heat the oven to a low 250 degrees and bake for two hours. (I would actually cook these for another hour... just depends on the ribs you purchased. After two hours, check to see if the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone, if not, put back in for another hour.)

You can put these ribs in the fridge until you are ready to put on the grill. Alton drains the braising liquid and sets that in the fridge where the fat will naturally separate from the juice. You can scrape the fat off the top and then put the liquid in a small saucepan to thicken, then use this glaze to baste the ribs on the grill and also serve along side the ribs as a dipping sauce.

When you are ready to grill the ribs, heat your grill to medium-high and allow to heat for 10 minutes. Cut each slab in half and place them on the grill, meat side down, close the lid and decrease the heat to medium. Leave alone for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. I basted the ribs with a prepared bbq sauce each time we flipped them. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on each side 1 more time or until each rib has a nice char. Remove the ribs from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 2 rib portions.

Final rib photo from StyleList.com since mine were consumed so fast at the pool party I didn't get a picture.