It never fails to amaze me how one
simple idea can give birth to so
many great regional variations.
consider ribs. the pork rib is one
of the most perfect morsels ever to
occupy a grill. the meat is
generously marbled, which keeps it
moist during prolonged cooking. as
the fat melts, it crisps the meat
fibers and bastes the meat
naturally. the bones impart a rich
meaty flavor (meat next to the bone
always tastes best), while
literally providing a physical
support - a gnawable rack on which
to cook the meat. yet depending on
whether you eat ribs in birmingham
or kansas city, or bangkok or paris
for that matter, you'll get a
completely different preparation.
i've always been partial to
memphis-style ribs. memphians don't
mess around with a lot of sugary
sauces. instead, they favor dry
rubs-full-flavored mixtures of
paprika, black pepper, and cayenne,
with just a touch of brown sugar
for sweetness. the rub is massaged
into the meat the night before
grilling, and additional rub is
sprinkled on the ribs at the end of
cooking. this double application of
spices creates incredible character
and depth of flavor, while at the
same time preserving the natural
taste of the pork. sometimes a
vinegar and mustard based
sauce-aptly called a mop sauce-is
swabbed over the ribs (with said
mop) during cooking; i've included
one here, for you to use if you
like. you can choose any type of
rib for this recipe: baby back
ribs, long ends, short ends, rib
tips-you name it. cooking times are
approximate. the ribs are done when
the ends of the bones protrude and
the meat is tender enough to pull
apart with your fingers. i like my
ribs served dry, in the style of
memphis's legendary barbecue haunt,
the rendezvous.
