Ribs are one of my favorite things to cook and eat; I remember in middle school having the whole rack of baby bbq ribs at a restaurant on Broadway across the street from my grandmother’s apartment. My parents used to point out Jerry Stiller and Anne Merea (Ben Stiller’s parents, who happened to go there often) when we’d both happen to be there at the same time. I would take down the ribs and a chocolate moose, and I looked like a movie extra from Heavyweights

Since then I’ve always enjoyed good ribs. These are a take on a Memphis style rib rub. No need for sauce–the flavor is all packed in the rub, and they are still nice and tender. It might be a bit too much heat for those who don’t like spicy foods, so if you are a fan of more mild heat I would suggest lessening the cayenne pepper (probably in half). Otherwise, these ribs were fantastic.

Ingredients

1 rack of ribs

1/4 cup mild chili powder (use medium or hot to kick up the heat)

1/4 cup mild chili powder (use medium or hot to kick up the heat)

Method

Combine all dry ingredients to make a dry rub for the ribs. Remove any excess fat and the membrane on the ribs. The membrane is the white filmy substance on the underside of your ribs. A dry paper towel will help you get a decent grip on the membrane and rip it off . For the parts of the membrane that will not easily come off, score them with a sharp knife about 1/2″ apart and this will allow flavors to seep through.

Apply the rub liberally to all sides of the ribs and allow to sit in the refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat oven to 225ºF and preheat cast iron griddle to medium-high.

Sear ribs for 5-6 minutes per side.

Wrap ribs in aluminum foil and place in oven. Place a cookie sheet or other pan below to catch any drippings that may seep from the foil.

Cook for 3 hours. Flip the ribs every 30 minutes to allow juices to evenly coat the ribs. Allow to sit for 5 minutes after you remove them from the oven.