Memphis-Style Dry Ribs With Spicy Drippings

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups apple juice 
• 4 slabs baby back ribs 
• 2 tablespoons peppercorns black
• 2 teaspoons celery salt 
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 
• 1 teaspoon thyme dried
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 
• 0.3 cup kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 
• 2 teaspoons oregano dried
• 2 teaspoons pepper red
• 0.5 tablespoon sea salt fine
• 0.3 cup sugar 
• 1 tablespoon paprika sweet
• 1.5 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• sieve
• grill
• kitchen thermometer
• aluminum foil
• mortar and pestle

Directions

1. Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Divide the mixture in half. Put half of the rub in a spice (coffee) grinder or mortar and pestle and grind the spices to a medium consistency.
2. Mix that with the reserved spice rub. (This will make a rub that is easily absorbed by the meat during "rubbing" and still has texture.) Set aside.
3. Mix 1 tablespoon of the dry rub with the apple juice, water, and salt until the salt is dissolved. Set aside.
4. Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill, setting up the grill for indirect heat.
5. Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs, if desired.
6. Sprinkle the ribs liberally with the spice rub and let sit, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Place an aluminum pan on top of the cooking grate.
8. Arrange the ribs on a rib rack.
9. Place the ribs in the aluminum pan on the center of the cooking grate over indirect medium-low heat.
10. Pour 1 cup of the apple juice mop into the drip pan.
11. Grill covered (at about 325°F, if your grill has a thermometer) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and has pulled back from the ends of the rib bones.
12. Leave ribs untended for the first 30 minutes—this means no peeking. Then, using the apple juice mixture, baste or "mop" the ribs every 20 minutes, adding a little more apple juice mop (about 1/4 cup) to the drip pan each time. You will do this twice. When the mop is gone and the juices have accumulated in the drip pan, baste the ribs with the drippings one more time. If the ribs start to burn on the edges, stack them on top of one another in the very center of the foil pan and lower the heat slightly.
13. About 10 minutes before the ribs are done, remove them from the pan and place them on the cooking grate over indirect heat to finish browning and crisp the surface crust. (If your ribs are already crispy and have a caramelized crust on the outside, this last step may not be necessary.)
14. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings through a fine sieve or fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan and bring to a boil, adding any leftover apple juice mop. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
15. Remove the ribs from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual or 2 to 3 rib portions.
16. Serve the ribs with warm drippings on the side.