Pigs and Zin

I’ve been  meaning to do a post about BBQ ribs for a few weeks now. I smoked ribs a few weekends ago and they were nothing short of amazing. That’s not a boast of my smoking prowess – I’m an amateur at best. No, it’s a testament to the classic combination of low smokey heat and delicious ribs.

So in honor of 4th of July and the fact that just about everyone will be grilling this weekend, I urge you to try making ribs.

I could write about my technique, but this recipe from the Post is better written than anything I can do. In fact, I’d recommend reading this whole article on ribs.

The advice I will give is:

1. Try to do this on a Weber kettle if that’s an option for you, and
2. If you like the results, splurge for a entry-level smoker.

My $150 smoker that I bought about four years ago has proven to be one of my best investments ever. With a little patience and practice, I consistently produce BBQ that is far superior to anything available nearby.

Oh, and my other advice is buy a decent bottle of California Zinfandel to pair with the ribs. Beer might seem like the right mate for BBQ, but nothing beats ribs and zin. You can’t go wrong with Bogle Zin, but Ridge, Rosenblum, and Sobon are all great as well. Especially the Ridge York Creek and the Sobon ReZerve (their spelling, not an error).

I promise that the ribs and wine will blow your mind. And if you want to make your own sauce, try my recipe here. If you want to tailor it to the wine pairing replace the beer with some zinfandel. If you want to get real fancy, use Dijon mustard in place of the yellow mustard. I did it once. It was good. It also felt a little fussy for BBQ.