PAT Let me tell you, there’s nothing like a perfectly seasoned smoked beef rib. Don’t be intimidated by their size; beef ribs are easier to cook than pork ribs. Removing the silver membrane on the inside of the ribs is key, particularly with beef ribs that have thick skin. (Start at the end of the bone with your fingers and it’ll pull right off.) Once the film of the membrane is removed, the sweet cherry-cola rub can really penetrate the meat. Cooking the ribs with indirect heat and hickory wood gives them a pull-off-the-bone tenderness and smoky flavor, and the sweet cherry-cola sauce added near the end infuses syrupy goodness into these beauties.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　

SWEET CHERRY-COLA RUB

3 tablespoons light-brown sugar

　　3 tablespoons paprika

　　3 tablespoons kosher salt

　　2 tablespoons onion powder

　　1 tablespoon garlic powder

　　1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 slabs beef spare ribs (about 8 pounds total)

　　2 cups sweet cherry-cola BBQ sauce (recipe follows)

　　

SWEET CHERRY-COLA BBQ SAUCE

1 1/2 cups ketchup

　　One 12-ounce can cherry cola

　　1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

　　1/4 cup water

　　2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

　　2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

　　1 tablespoon sweet cherry-cola rub

　　(makes about 2 cups)

　　

Step 1

To make the rub: Whisk together the first six ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the seasoning for the sauce that will finish the dish.

　　

Step 2

Rinse the ribs in cold water, then pat dry with paper towels, and pull off the thin silver membrane (see headnote). Season both sides of the slabs with the seasoning, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the grill to 225 degrees F, preferably using hickory and charcoal. Place the slabs, meat side down, away from the flame, using indirect heat. Cook for 2 hours. Flip the slabs, and continue cooking for 45 minutes, or until you get the full bend in the slabs. Brush with the sweet cherry-cola BBQ sauce, and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Remove from heat, slice into ribs, and serve with additional sauce.

　　

SWEET CHERRY-COLA BBQ SAUCE

Step 5

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.