Fette Sau-style Baby Back Ribs

Makes 4 servings

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2 two- to three-pound racks baby back ribs

1 cup Fette Sau Dry Rub (see recipe)

Wood chunks or soaked chips

For tart mist:

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning (any rub works well)

You will also need: 1 plastic squeeze bottle with misting nozzle

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1. Put the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and coat all over with the dry rub. Let the meat rest for an hour at room temperature until the rub starts to turn into a pasty coating.

2. Preheat a smoker to 225 degrees, or set up a grill for smoking.

3. While the smoker heats, prepare the tart mist by mixing together the vinegar and cider with barbecue seasoning. Let steep as long as possible, and then strain through a sieve into the spray bottle.

4. Place the racks, meaty side up, in the smoker and smoke, maintaining the temperature between 200 and 225 degrees, replenishing the charcoal and wood chunks or chips as needed. Spritz the ribs with the tart wash every 45 minutes or so. Total smoking time should be between two and a half and three hours.

5. After about two hours, give a final spritz and begin checking the ribs periodically to see if you can easily tear a piece of meat from the bone with your fingers. It doesn't need to be falling-off-the-bone tender. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the rib meat should read at least 180 degrees.) After that final spritz, with about half an hour to go, sprinkle on a little more rub to maintain the crust.

6. Using tongs or heavy rubber gloves, transfer ribs to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cut into individual ribs and serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.

Note: Though Joe Carroll prefers the larger St. Louis-style spare ribs because they are meatier and conducive to a longer, seven-hour smoking, baby backs are better for a shorter time commitment. They also benefit from the addition of an occasional tart mist to keep them moist. To remove the membrane from the back inner curve of the bones (standard practice with baby backs), slide a knife just underneath the surface of the flesh to release an edge of the opaque membrane to create a sort of pull tab. Using a paper towel for grip, pull it back across the ribs and the membrane should come off relatively easily, like a long strip of paper.

Per serving: 1,095 calories; 119 grams protein; 18 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams sugar; 56 grams fat; 349 milligrams cholesterol; 7,704 milligrams sodium; 1 grams dietary fiber.

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