Liquid Smoke Spice Rubbed Country Ribs

I can think of a host of reasons to be bummed during this Pandemic Isolation. I miss all the weekend fairs and festivals, especially the little Farmer’s Markets and Antique Street Fairs. I miss walking about up in the foothills, exploring all the quaint little mining communities. I miss wine tasting and the fellowship of Sunday Mass.

I miss my Dad, who is fighting cancer and I cannot be at his side. He beat Pancreatic Cancer ten years ago. It’s back. So the battle begins yet again. At lease he has his wife; Sue, with him. She and my father have been married longer than he was married to my mother. Sue has given Dad a whole new, different life than the one he shared with Mom. The truth is that being with Dad now really is less about supporting him and more about quieting my own fears of separation. He is my Dad. I will always need to be near him.

I could let all this weight me down. Money is a little tighter now. Wants are by the wayside as we put needs first. Things are different on so many levels.

When life was “normal” weekends were reserved for barbecues. Now that we’re not going anywhere, every day can be the weekend with backyard grilling and puttering in the garden and holding hands as we sip wine on the back patio and listen to the sounds of the coming evening. Life is what we make it. And as luck would have it, today is National Gardening Day. So get out there and get your hands dirty!

Liquid Smoke Spice Rubbed Country Ribs
2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Barbecue Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Ground Jalapeno Pepper or to taste
4 lbs Boneless Country Pork Ribs, trimmed
2 Cups Water
1 Yellow Onion
4 cloves Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
Favorite Barbecue Sauce as needed

Note: If you do not have Jalapeno Pepper, use Cayenne or some other hot spice. Just enough to give a little kick without over-powering the blend of flavors.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and spices. Rub ribs with the spice blend. Set ribs aside on the top of the broiler pan for 30 minutes to soak in the rub.

Heat oven to 300-degrees.

In the bottom of a broiler pan, add water. Cut onion into slivers, scatter over the water. Peel and roughly chop the garlic, scatter over the onions. Add liquid smoke to the water.

Place on top of broiler pan with ribs over the seasoned water, cover tightly with foil. Slow cook in the moderately heated oven about 90 minutes or until meat is tender but not falling apart.

To finish off Ribs; build a nice bed of coals in the barbecue or heat a gas grill to about 450 degrees. Remove the ribs from the oven, brush lightly with barbecue sauce. Transfer meat to a clean barbecue grate that has been wiped with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Sear ribs 3-5 minutes, turn and sear other side. Mop heavily with Barbecue Sauce during final grilling.

While the ribs are finishing off on the grill, drain the liquid from the bottom of the broiler pan. Place the onions in a skillet over medium-high heat. Grill just a little. Serve the onions with the ribs as a topping if desired.

Transfer the ribs to a platter, serve with any remaining barbecue sauce.

This delicious, tender country ribs are delicious with Steak-House Diced Potatoes and Buttery Corn.