Although I can’t win the contest (bummer) here’s a sample entry:
Best Ribs Recipe
2 racks pork ribs, preferably baby backs or loin backs
Your favorite dry rub, preferably with a brown sugar base
Apple, maple, hickory, or pecan wood chips, optional
Season ribs generously with your favorite dry rub; a brown sugar blend works wonders for pork ribs. Once ribs are coated in dry rub, place racks together, concave side to concave side. Wrap in foil, and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
Build coals on 1 end of your grill and prepare grill for cooking.
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F.
Place ribs on the grill on the side opposite of the coals for indirect cooking. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at roughly 350 degrees F.
Once ribs are tender, remove them from the foil and place them back on the grill, on the side opposite the coals and continue indirectly cooking for 30 to 45 minutes. This is a good time to add wood chips to the coals for smoke flavoring; apple, maple, hickory, or pecan wood chips particularly enhance the taste.
Finally, transfer the ribs to the part of the grill directly over the coals and cook for 15 more minutes, or until the dry rub is caramelized.
Brush bbq sauce (see below) onto meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serves 4
These ribs come out so tender and delicious. You should cook the ribs until they are so tender that the meat falls off of the bone.
My Favorite BBQ Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary.