Rib Rub

Without the smoke, bacon would just be fatty, salted pork with lots of gristle.  I got a small electric smoker from my parents a couple of years ago.  Smoking meat not only implies the smell of smoke will be infused in the meat but it also implies the meat will be cooked with low heat for a long period of time and if you are a perfectionist, you are going to use a dry rub on the meat.

Dry rubs provide salt which tenderizes the meat, and some sugar which combines with the fat to produce the "bark".  Barbeque sauce will coat the meat but will not produce the bark, which is the signature of good ribs.  This recipe is based on the recipe from the family of my daughter's boyfriend, Sam.  I like it because the ingredients don't compete with each other. No one ingredient overwhelms the others.

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup seasoning salt - like Lawrys
• ¼ cup smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp onion salt
• 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp chili powder
• 1½ tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1½ tsp celery salt
• 1½ tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice

This will make more rub than you'll probably need for a single use.  Store the remaining in a air-tight container.

1. Pat meat dry with a paper towel.
2. Remove the thin membrane from concave side of ribs.
3. Liberally sprinkle rub on all faces of the meat.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 8-24 hours.