Get grilling the 'best ribs ever'

For ribs:

1. Make the Lone Star rib rub: Place the salt, chile powder, cracked pepper, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl and mix with your fingers. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the rub for the Bare Bones Barbecue sauce.

2. Make the mop sauce: Place the beer, vinegar, coffee, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Lone Star rib rub in a nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix. Set the mop sauce and remaining rub aside separately.

3. Prepare the ribs: Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a baking sheet. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. The best place to start is on one of the middle bones. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with remaining rack.

4. Generously sprinkle the ribs on both sides with the remaining rub, using about 1 tablespoon per side and rubbing it onto the meat. (Any leftover rub will keep for several weeks in a sealed jar away from heat and light.) Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you set up the grill under the grate.

5. Set up a charcoal grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325 to 350 F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill.

6. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. Toss half of the wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs for 45 minutes.

7. Mop the ribs on both sides with some of the mop sauce. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until they are well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours longer, 1 1/2 to 2 hours in all. When the ribs are done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch. Mop the ribs once or twice more and replenish the coals as needed.

8. Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board and let rest for a few minutes. If possible, save the drippings from the ribs for the Bare-Bones Barbecue Sauce. Cut the racks in half, if you are serving 4, or into 1 or 2 rib pieces. Serve at once with the barbecue sauce on the side.

Note: Drippings from the ribs will accumulate in the grill's drip pan. Wearing heatproof gloves, remove the pan and pour the drippings through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Loosely cover the ribs with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you make the Bare-Bones Barbecue Sauce. Adding the drippings is optional, but it sure makes the sauce suave and rich.

For barbecue sauce:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the beer, increase the heat to high, and boil until reduced by about half.

2 Add the beef stock, ketchup, steak sauce, and Lone Star rib rub, reduce the heat to medium-high, and slowly bring the sauce to a boil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or beef stock, enough to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency, and let simmer until the flavors meld, 3 to 5 minutes.

Note: If you've saved the rib drippings from the drip pam to make a richer sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of them along with the beef stock.

For ribs:

1. Make the mop sauce: Melt the butter in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cider, bourbon, and soy sauce. Keep warm until ready to use.

2. Make the rub: Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, pepper, mustard, garlic powder, and celery seed in a small bowl and mix with your fingers, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar or garlic powder.

3. Prepare the ribs: Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a baking sheet. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. The best place to start is on one of the middle bones. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with the remaining rack.

4. Set aside 1 tablespoon of rub for serving. Sprinkle the remaining rub over both sides of the ribs, rubbing it onto the meat. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you set up the grill.

5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (325° to 350°F). Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate.

6. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone side down in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. (If your grill has limited space, stand the racks of ribs upright in a rib rack; see page 52.) If cooking on a charcoal grill, toss half of the wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs for 45 minutes.

7. Mop the ribs on both sides with the mop sauce. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until well browned, cooked through, and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours in all. When the ribs are cooked, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch. Mop the ribs again every 15 minutes and, if using a charcoal grill, replenish the coals as needed.

8. Just before serving, brush the ribs on both sides with some of the Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce and m ove them directly over the fire. Grill the ribs until the barbecue sauce is browned and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes per side.

9. Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board. Let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the racks in half or into individual ribs. Sprinkle a little of the reserved rub over the ribs and serve at once with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.

Variation

How to cook first-timer’s ribs in a smoker: Set up and light the smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat it to low (225° to 250°F). Place the ribs in the smoker bone side down and smoke until cooked through, 4 to 5 hours. Start mopping the ribs with the mop sauce after 1 hour, then mop the ribs again once every hour.

Brush the ribs with the Lemon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce a half hour before they are done smoking. You’ll need to replenish the wood chips or chunks after the first and second hour of smoking and to replenish the coals every hour.

For barbecue sauce:

1. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, mustard, onion powder, and pepper in a nonreactive saucepan and whisk to mix.

2. Gradually bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and let simmer until thick and flavorful, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or clean jars and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the sauce, covered, until serving time; let it return to room temperature before using. The sauce can be refrigerated for several weeks.

1. Cut the top 1/4 inch off each ear of corn. Shuck an ear, stripping back the husk from the top but leaving it attached at the bottom (the action is a bit like peeling a banana). Remove and discard the corn silk. Gather the husk together so that it covers the stem and makes a sort of handle, then tie it together with string or strips of corn husk. Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.

2. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high; use the Mississippi test to check the heat.

3. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Lightly brush each ear of corn all over with some of the butter and sprinkle it with a little barbecue rub. Arrange the corn on the hot grate so that all the ears are pointed in the same direction, then slide the aluminum foil shield under the husks to keep them from burning. Grill the corn until the kernels are handsomely browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all, turning it with tongs. As the corn grills, baste it with the remaining butter and sprinkle it with more barbecue rub.

4. Transfer the grilled corn to a platter or plates and serve at once.

1. Make the berry salsa: Place the berries, mint, ginger, jalapeño(s), lime juice, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl but do not mix. The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.

2. Make the tequila whipped cream, if using: Beat the cream to soft peaks in a chilled bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, tequila, and cinnamon and beat until firm. The tequila whipped cream can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.

3. Grill the angel food cake: Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high; use the Mississippi test to check the heat.

4. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Lightly brush the cake slices on both sides with the melted butter. Arrange the slices of cake on the grill, at a diagonal to the bars of the grate, and grill until lightly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with a spatula. (If you're feeling ambitious, give each slice of cake a quarter turn halfway through to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks.) Transfer the grilled cake slices to a platter or plates.

5. Toss the berry salsa to mix. Taste for sweetness, adding more granulated sugar and/or lime juice as necessary. Spoon the salsa over the grilled cake. Top each portion with a dollop of tequila whipped cream, if using, and serve at once. Serve any extra whipped cream on the side.