SALT AND PEPPER RUB FOR RIBS RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Set spice rub aside.
• Stir Dijon mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl.
• Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn the ribs over so that the meat side is down. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to make some very shallow slashes every few inches through the membrane that covers the ribs. Poke the knife 3 or 4 times between each rib bone, about 1/4 inch deep.
• Brush about 1/2 of the Dijon mustard mixture on top. Sprinkle with about 40% of the spice rub. Turn the rack over and brush on the rest of the mustard and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle on the rest of the rub, reserving 1 or 2 teaspoons in case you want to use it to season the cooked ribs later.
• Refrigerate the ribs, uncovered, 4 to 12 hours before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Remove ribs from the refrigerator.
• Cook in the center of the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan drippings. Continue to cook until very tender and the tip of a knife slides in very easily, about 1 1/2 hours more.
• Remove from the oven, baste again, and let ribs rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Steps:

• On one-half of a grill fitted with a cover, build a small charcoal fire, about the size of a loaf of commercial sandwich bread, making sure all the charcoal becomes engulfed in flame.
• Place the ribs meat-side down on a baking sheet or cutting board and remove the papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a small knife beneath it and levering it up to give you enough to gain purchase with a dish towel. Peel off the membrane and discard.
• Mix the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and, if you choose, red-pepper flakes in a bowl, breaking up the brown sugar with a fork. Using your hands, cover the meat entirely in this rub.
• When the flames begin to die down, leaving flickering coals, place the rib racks meat-side up on the half of the grill without the burning charcoal. Do not let the flames touch the meat at any time. Add a handful of the hickory chips to the fire. Cover the grill, vent slightly and cook, adding a handful of hickory chips every 30 minutes and a bit more fuel as necessary, until the meat is crusty, soft to the touch and well browned, about two and a half hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for around 5 hours.
• Cut into individual portions. Serve with extra napkins and, if you choose, barbecue sauce.