Gerry’s Ribs

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’ll do it anyway: sometimes I dream about my neighbor, Gerry’s, ribs. Not the ones as in Adam and Eve. I’m talking about the baby backs he grills every now and then, and has perfected to the degree that I’ll never try to match them.

When I grilled (pun intended) Gerry about the recipe (see below), with his usual quiet, modesty, he said they were simple, and it wasn’t anything special he did. But here’s why I love them: they’re dry, but moist, and just right in terms of smokiness. You could say that dry and moist is an oxymoron, but let me explain. Gerry’s ribs are dry-rubbed, and slow-grilled, but they’re not barbecue-sauced (I made up that word; it’s a blog). So the end result is succulent ribs, flavorful and moist, but dry. Having said that, you’ll still need plenty of napkins, and I wouldn’t recommend eating them on a first date.

Like many of the best recipes, this one came from a product cookbook, Weber’s Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance. When you’re king of the barbecue grill, recipes to brag about are required! The rub has only four ingredients, brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, and black pepper, which are probably sitting in your spice cabinet. After applying the perfectly balanced rub, it’s all about what happens on the barbecue. The trick is to grill them over indirect, low heat, and Gerry notes that he checks them at 1 ½ hours, and maximum time on the ‘cue is 1 ¾.

Not long after a recent rib-fest, Gerry commented that they probably weren’t good for his diet. My response to that is, they’re high on the happiness scale, and sometimes that trumps everything. I love it that the best recipes, given time and patience, are simple. And as for my dream, it really did come true. The day after the first time Gerry made the ribs, I came home from a shopping trip to find a package of them in my fridge. He’d given the leftover ones to my husband, Stewart. Thank you Gerry. This one’s for you!
Recipe: Gerry’s Ribs

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