Showdown! Pitmasters’ best BBQ spareribs

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix all of the rub ingredients together, making sure to break up the brown sugar. Take the rub and coat both sides of the beef ribs evenly.

Place ribs on a baking pan oven in the oven, and cook for 6 1/2 to 7 hours (or until tender). Serve immediately.

Each rack can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days. To serve, simply reheat in the oven or on the grill.

Remove the membrane from the back of the rib. Combine rub and mix well. Reserve one tablespoon of rub for liquid seasoning mixture. Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs. Gently pat to ensure that rub will adhere. Preheat charcoal cooker to 250 degrees F. Place ribs meat-side up on grate and cook over indirect heat for 2 1/2 hours. 

Remove ribs from the cooker. Place each rib meat-side down on its own doubled aluminum foil square. Foil should be large enough to completely wrap rib. Mix the liquid seasoning. Pour 1/2 cup of the liquid over each rib. At the same time, tightly wrap and seal each rib with aluminum foil. Place back in cooker for 1 hour 15 minutes.

While the ribs are cooking, pour the red wine and the black cherry juice into a saute pan and simmer over medium heat. Reduce the mixture to 1/2 cup (about 15-20 minutes). Add the cherries, blackberries, sugar, and jalapeno pepper to the mixture and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the fruit from the mixture, add the barbecue sauce and stir well.

Remove ribs from cooker, unwrap, and discard foil. Brush the Zin-sational glaze on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in cooker for 15 minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.

Prepping instructions: Working usually a case at a time, remove ribs from packaging and place in a clean bus tub. With a good knife and cutting board, remove "skirt" on the bone side of the rib. Turn rib over and remove approximately 2 to 2 ½ inches along top of rack. Clean both ends of rack if they are ragged. With a small paring knife lift up membrane on bone side, grab with a kitchen towel and remove from rack. Remove large fat deposits on "meat" side and lightly make several "knife scores" along the rack, parallel with the rib bones. Next cut the rack into 5 bone portions. 4 bone or 6 bone portions are OK, but 5 are ideal. Once all the ribs are portioned, sprinkle Pit Season on both sides of rib and neatly place in a bus tub.

Cooking, holding and serving instructions: Once the Pitmaster has his grill pit hot with charcoal and is ready to grill, seasoned spareribs are neatly arranged, meat side down, on grill. Allow this side to cook uninterrupted for approximately 15 minutes. Using tongs, carefully, quickly turn ribs over (bone side down). Allow to cook for another 15 minutes or so. With a clean kitchen towel blot any blood off the meat side of the rib. Repeat turning over ribs at 10 to 15 minute intervals for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until just fully cooked. (A properly cooked sparerib will have a nice seasoned browned color.)

Next, add to deep hotel pan water mixed with Pit Season. This step helps keep the ribs moist and imparts additional flavor. Cover hotel pan with aluminum foil, label and date. Some may go directly onto line steam table. Remaining spare ribs will be placed in a low temperature warmer (150 degrees F) and held until needed for service. Ribs are served per chit instructions and lightly brushed with sweet BBQ prior to serving.