Organizing and Slow Cooked Baby Back Ribs

Today is one of those cloudy, gloomy days when the sky just can't decide whether to rain or not. Holly Bear and I got misted on this morning while running in the Secret Park - but that was the extent of any rainfall. I wish it would JUST POUR! I haven't watered the garden for the last 5 days in anticipation of rain and I'm a bit rusty when it comes to a rain dance. 

The other reason I'm hoping for rain is that a rainy day is the perfect time for me to organize the inside of my house. Sunny days find me outside in the one of the "patches" (vegetable, perennial, herb or annual) which means the inside goes totally untended. 

I'm going to start with the coffee table that has absolutely no room for coffee. See the picture? Photo Album that needs to be updated (yes I keep a "baby" album of Holly Bear - they grow up so fast, don't they?) cooking magazines, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, unfinished glass of wine from last night (how did that happen?), the most recent book I'm reading, the best husband in the world's last few months of Scientific America, a book on German Shepherds, People (my trash reading) hand cream, etc... kind of reminds me of my purse. Anyway, today, I organize. I also slow cook. Rainy days are perfect days to fill the house with the teasing aroma of something good in the oven. Today that aroma is Baby Back Ribs My Way. Read on:

Baby Back Ribs My Way: (feeds four normal people or two rib lovers)

1 rack of baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Take ribs out of refrigerator 30 minutes prior to first cooking cycle. Pat brown sugar into tops of ribs. Place on rack in roasting pan. Pour water and apple cider vinegar in bottom of roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in oven on bottom rack. Bake for 4 hours. 

After 4 hours, Preheat Grill to HIGH. 

Take ribs out of pan, discard juices in bottom of pan. Grill ribs for 4-5 minutes per side, basting with your favorite BBQ sauce. We like Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. I'm pretty sure there is crack cocaine in it because my family is addicted to this stuff. 

Serve with creamy cole slaw and hot corn bread. The ribs would also be excellent with the Missing Sibling Salad from yesterday's post.

Corn Bread: makes sixteen 2 inch squares

When you take the ribs out of the oven, crank the oven up to 425 degrees. 

Butter a 8 inch pan.

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg and oil and mix quickly with a few quick flicks of your spoon or whisk. Spoon into pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Corn bread will be puffed and golden on top. Cool slightly, slice and serve. 

Variations: to the batter, add

Add a few sliced jalapeno peppers

Add a handful sliced, sun dried tomatoes

Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Add a few strips crumbled bacon

Add 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese