Veggies beware...Little Ms. is making...RIBS!

So...another confession...Little Ms. used to be a vegetarian. For a long time...from the age of 12 until 19. (What can I say? I was a head strong tween.)
And...perhaps even more shockingly, I liked being a vegetarian, and I only started eating meat when I moved into my own place for university and couldn't easily get to the grocery store for fresh veggies on a regular basis.
But, now, since I've been eating meat for some time, I've forged ahead into the carnivore world and haven't looked back. This is not to say that I don't eat lots of vegetarian meals. I know that meat isn't necessary to get the required amount of protein and that we city folk don't need the amount of meat that our hunter-gatherer ancestors did. But - let's face it - meat is pretty darn tasty.
Being in the mood for some tasty meat, I decided to make ribs.
These ribs are based on ribs that my mom makes, with some Little Ms. twists.
They are super easy and the flavour pay off is huge. I use pork side ribs. Many people boil their ribs before barbecuing, but I find that this method is both easier and more flavourfull.  I totally recommend that you make these ribs for your next summer gathering: they are fall-off-the-bone flavourful and finger-looking good. I served my ribs with microwave-steamed sweet potatoes that I threw on the BBQ for a few minutes to get grill marks and an Asian-inspired coleslaw.

Maple-glazed BBQ Ribs

I made these ribs in 2 stages, but depending on your time and energy level, you can totally skip step two and still get a great result. Wrapping the ribs in parchment paper and then foil creates a confit cooking environment that yields moist, flavourful, fall-off-the-bone ribs.
Serves 4 - 6 people.

Ribs:

2 lbs pork side ribs

1/8 - 1/4 cup of pure Canadian maple syrup

large sheets of parchment paper (big enough to fully wrap ribs)

large sheets of tin foil (same size as parchment)

Dry Rub:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano


Mix together the dry-rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Pre-heat the BBQ (you can also use a 300 degree oven to make these ribs with good results).

Pat ribs dry with paper towel and and place the ribs on a sheet of parchment paper bigger than the rack of ribs on all sides by at least 6 inches. Sprinkle the ribs with the dry rub, massaging the rub into the meat.  Drizzle the meat  (the "meaty side) with the maple syrup.

Beginning at one short  end of the parchment paper, create small pleats, folding the paper over itself to crimp the edges together, wrapping the meat tightly in the parchment paper. This is hard to describe in words, but see the pictures or check out this method (feeling free to skip the part about cutting the paper into a specific shape).

After you've created a tightly wrapped package of ribs, place the package on large piece of foil. If you don't have extra-wide foil, double up the pieces to create a larger one. Repeat the pleating process again with the foil. The ribs should be entirely covered in a double layer of parchment paper and foil. The babies are ready for the barbie!

Because these ribs need to cook for a long time, you want to cook them over indirect heat. If your BBQ has a top shelf, heat both burners to low and place the ribs on the top shelf. If you do not have a top rack, simply use only one burner of the BBQ, preheating it to medium, and place the ribs on the opposite side of the BBQ over no heat. Indirect heat effectively turns your BBQ into an oven and lets you better manage the temperature so that these ribs can cook to perfection without burning. 

Cook the ribs over indirect heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, turning every 45 mins or so. Be sure the ribs are not burning during the cooking process by peaking inside the parchment paper about 1 1/2 hours into the cooking time. You're looking for tender meat and a nice crisp spice/syrup "bark" or crust.

After 2 or 2 1/2 hours the ribs should be flavourful, moist and fully cooked. At this point, you can remove the foil and parchment paper and place the ribs over direct heat for a few minutes on each side to caramelize the meat. I basted my ribs with my favourite BBQ sauce before placing back on the BBQ for added flavour, but as mentioned above, this step is not necessary.

Cut the ribs into portion sizes and have at them!