Dry Rub Pork Spare Ribs

Remove membrane from ribs by loosening with a butter knife and pulling off, using a paper towel for grip. Rinse and pat the ribs dry. Mix together all remaining ingredients. This is your dry rub.

Coat all the ribs, both sides, with the rub. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Heat oven to 350°F.

Transfer ribs to a lipped baking sheet or jelly roll pan lined with foil and fitted with a flat rack, such as an ovenproof cooling rack. Cook the ribs uncovered for 1½ hours. Cover with foil and cook an additional 45 minutes. The ribs will have a deep brown color and the meat should easily come off the bone when done.

Quivira 2019 Wine Creek Ranch Grenache (Dry Creek Valley); 90 Points

Depending on region and producer, chameleonic Grenache (or Garnacha) can show flavors of berries, licorice, spice, dried herbs, flowers, citrus and smoke. American Grenache tends more toward bold fruit and spices like cinnamon and pepper that echo ingredients in the rib rubs. This California bottling exudes red fruit, spice and hints of roasted meat that—with the tannins and acidity to cut the richness—is a no-brainer for these ribs.

Or try it with an unaged corn whiskey

Fine examples of this are usually lighter and cleaner on the palate with a hint of butterscotch or caramel element that won’t obscure the complex smoke-sweet-spice mix of this rub.