Summer is upon us yet again!!! The days are getting longer and hotter. Here in Houston, that means one thing in particular, BBQ Season!!! Throughout the city folks are lighting up their grills, and the scent of hickory smoke and cooking flesh are filling the air. It is just plain delicious!!! This recipe is the perfect accompaniment for a day spent by the pool with your friends and a couple of cocktails.

Before we go in “whole hog”, let’s discuss the types of ribs you can get from our favorite animal, the noble pig. The two most common styles of ribs you will find at your local grocer are baby back ribs and spareribs. Both cuts are superb for different reasons and several applications. Baby ribs are probably the most easily recognizable, at least in name thanks to Chili’s advertising a few years back. Contrary to what people may believe this cut of meat does not come from baby pigs, they are just smaller than pork spareribs because they are located closer to the back bone of the animal. These little gems are leaner and more tender than spareribs, but they are also more in demand which makes their price per pound go up significantly. Pork spareribs can be made to be just as tender, but due to a higher fat content, this cut can result in a more flavorful end result when cooked properly. We prefer to use the latter cut in this application, they hold up to the longer cooking time a lot better and allow for better flavor development. You may also find the spareribs labeled as pork loin ribs in the store. Look for a slab of ribs with a 40:60 ratio of flesh to fat for optimal results.

The secret ingredient to this recipe is an item that we suggest buying in bulk at the end of the summer when they get reduced in price, smoking bags. These bags make a world of difference in the final flavor of the ribs. They are aluminum foil roasting bags that are lined with hickory wood chips on the bottom. Each bag is large enough to fit a whole slab of spareribs and the just make the whole endeavor worth the effort. You can find them at Williams-Sonoma pretty much all year for about $10 a package, each containing 2 bags. If you go in at the end of the summer, they usually mark them down to about $5 a pack.

All right folks!!! It’s time to rack them up and smoke them out!!!

Sweet Heat BBQ Ribs

1 5-7 Lb rack of pork spareribs, (40:60 ratio fat to flesh)

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Red Chili flakes

2 Tbsp Kosher Salt

1 Smoking bag

Procedure:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Remove the ribs from their packaging and place them on a cutting board, pat dry.
3. Rub the dry mixture all over the ribs from and back, reserve 1/3 of the mixture. Allow the ribs to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. As the ribs sit, the sugar and salt will start to draw moisture from the ribs and tenderize at the same time.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Once the 20 minutes has passed rub the remaining blend onto the surface of the ribs, front and back. Place in the smoking bag and seal tightly. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake the ribs at 400F for 30 minutes to activate the smoking chips in the bag. Drop the temperature to 300F and roast for approximately 2 hours.
7. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to cool slightly, 5- 10 minutes. Raise the temperature to 375F.
8. At this point you may finish cooking them in the oven or place them on the grill. We will continue in the oven.
9. Take 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, we use Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar, and combine it 1 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of red chili flakes. Brush the slab of ribs all over the surface generously. Open up the smoking bag and use it to line the baking sheet.
10. Place the sauced ribs back in the oven for 30-40 mins, or until the  sauce begins to caramelize slightly.
11. Remove from oven and allow for another 5-10 minutes of cooling. Cut and serve.

*** You can use the same sauce recipe and grill these! The long smoking time will make them pretty delicate, so use caution if you do grill. They should be more than sufficient with a couple of minutes on each side, on the cooler end of the grill.