Jordy’s Trippin’ Ribs

Don’t ask about the name. Just accept the mystery.

1 Costco pack of three racks of ribs.
Rub:
4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 ½ tsp Whole peppercorns (for about 2 tsp ground pepper)
2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Dried parsley
1 Tbsp Packed brown Sugar
1 tsp Whole cumin seed
1 tsp Whole fennel seed
1 tsp Whole coriander
1 Tbsp Chipotle chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp Onion powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
Braising:
Apple Juice

The night before, grind the spices together and lay the ribs out on a baking sheet. If you’re using a 22″ Weber and standard upright rib racks, I recommend cutting the last three ribs off of each rack. Then when assembling them on the rack the three trimmed racks fit nicely and the cut-offs fit well together in the front row.

Apply rub to all sides of the ribs, cover and refigerate overnight.

I don’t have a smoker. Instead I rely on my 22″ Weber kettle grill. To get a long, low smoke I use the “snake method.” There’s a million resources out there if you google “Weber snake method.” This is one of the first hits and it does a nice job of illustrating how it works. For my ribs I have two lines of briquettes, 24 briquettes long each and sprinkle the smoking wood of choice on top of the snakes along the whole length. In the middle I have a pie plate of hot water, and I light the head of my “snake” with a pair of Weber lighter cubes. They’re reliable and gone quickly enough that they don’t impart any off flavors.

With the head of the snake lit and hot water in the pie tin, I replace the grate and set the assembled rib rack. Now it’s time to cover them and let the neighbors get jealous.

I generally aim for keeping the ribs on the smoke for about five hours. The dual 24-briquette snake generally lasts about 6 hours, so there’s wiggle room there.

Once off the BBQ, place the ribs into a vessel and add apple juice into the vessel, about ¼ of an inch deep. Cover tightly with foil and place in a 350° oven for two hours.

After that, enjoy!