Spicy Dry Rub for Baby Back Ribs

I don't always post recipes, mostly because I'm not the type to write things down accurately (this sounds like a meme waiting to happen). When I see a recipe, I normally just look it over and attack it in my own way. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!

Martha Stewart's Smoky Baby Back Ribs

Over the past few months my economic situation hasn't exactly been kind to my restaurant-critique hobby. This is the main reason why this blog hasn't been getting much attention lately (also, there's that other blog I fool around with). Since I get to stay home a lot, I've been gaining some discipline on measuring and testing recipes more properly - and jotting down my own changes, because I always tweak recipes (except one - but we'll get to that). For a long time I didn't think that stuff belonged in Berry Eats, but the situation has forced me to look at it differently. From now on, you'll start seeing a bit more food prep-related content than reviews, although I'm hoping to get back on reviews soon.

Anyway, where was I? Aha! Baby back ribs. Yum.

I originally got this recipe for a dry rub from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, but I started playing around with it until I got it the way I want it. You'll notice it's pretty different from Martha's, but I'm mentioning it because I especially like the way they've explained how to prep & cook ribs on the grill or in the oven. I was always a bit scared of tackling ribs until this simple explanation came along.

Shown: brown sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika,
cayenne, dry mustard, and chocolate powder. 

This recipe can be used as a seasoning and as a dry rub marinade. Although it's absolutely best for baby back ribs, I've found that it's also good as a seasoning for chicken, chili, and other stews. I usually prep the dry seasoning ahead of time and only use the last 2 items on the recipe when I'm marinating meat/chicken.

For the seasoning:

• 4 Tbsp  Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp  Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp  Salt (I use sea salt)
• 2 tsp  Cumin 
• 1/2 tsp  Paprika 
• 1/2 tsp  Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp  Dry Mustard
• 1/2 tsp  Chocolate Powder (unsweetened)
• TT  ground black pepper (optional*)

For the dry rub:

• 4 ea. Garlic Cloves, minced (you could also use garlic powder) 
• a generous handful of Cilantro, finely chopped (optional*)

The chili powder gives it
a nice reddish color.

What I like best from this recipe is its versatility. You'll find that it works great as a dry rub marinade by itself, but it can also work nicely in a wet marinade with some olive oil and lime juice (especially good for roasted chicken). 

I like to recycle jars, so I usually have an old spice jar around that helps for later use. Just mix the dry spices together, slap a label on it, store it in a cool place, and it's good for about a month! 

Have fun!

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* I don't usually use these ingredients, but they work well.