Making fantastic ribs isn’t all that complicated. The purists will say you only need two components: a great cut of meat and the right cooking method. The meat is usually pork (either spareribs or baby backs) but I’ve heard glowing reviews about beef ribs as well. For this dish, as well as others where meat is the central ingredient, I recommend visiting a good butcher; nothing will ruin ribs faster than starting out cheap. My personal favorite butcher’s shop, Marconda’s Meats, is a little far away, but well worth the trip. In the future I may also try Manhattan Meats.

How do you prepare your newly purchased prize beauty for consumption? First, pat in a spice rub. You can use whatever combination suits you best, but I like to go with salt, pepper, cayenne powder, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, cumin, and maybe a little ancho chili powder or chipotle powder.

Then set the rack in the fridge for a few hours and fire up your cooking appliance of choice.

When considering how to cook your ribs, there are two major schools of thought: fast and hot, or low and slow. I’ve never had much success with the former trend, though I have seen people use this method in conjunction with specialized equipment to produce tender ribs. Personally I prefer low and slow. This means smoking with wood, indirect heat from charcoal, or oven baking. I haven’t built my terra cotta smoker or bought the cast iron hibachi I’ve been salivating over, so by default I bake my ribs.

Start by preheating the oven to 250°F. Securely wrap your ribs with heavy duty aluminum foil by placing the ribs back-side up and then folding so that the foil seam is near the top. Properly wrapping your ribs will trap the juices and baste the ribs while they cook. (You can also add these juices to your BBQ sauce after the ribs come out of the oven.) When the ribs are ready, load them onto a baking tray—seam side up— and place in the oven. Bake for at least 4 hrs and upto 6 hrs. Your ribs are done when the meat literally falls off the bone. For a finishing touch, glaze your ribs with BBQ sauce and place them in the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the sauce caramelizes.