It does not take a special occasion to get a group of friends together to just relax. It does not take a reason at all. Something so simple can bring everyone together to just enjoy one another's company for an evening. Tonight, I am proud to say we were able to have that.
About a week ago, my friend Kate Kietzman told me we needed to cook together. This conversation led to her revealing that she had three racks of ribs that needed to be smoked. Done. Tonight we smoked not three, but four racks of rib.
Tonight was my first time using a smoker. I knew how to grill but I did not know the techniques for a good smoked rib. I did a little research, found a rub mix I liked (see below) and went ahead and did it.
One of the best things I realized about smoking food was the waiting. We waited for three hours for the darn things to be done. But within those three hours, we had nice quality time to just hang out, talk and, of course, watch some football. No one had really planned on waiting three hours for food other than myself and Kate, but for some reason it was alright. Why is that?
I believe there is something serene about a grill. It tells people to breathe and relax. Everything sort of gets put on hold when you are cooking out. Those are the times you learn to appreciate most. Those are the times you miss when it is five below zero outside in the middle of January. Those are the times you look back to for comfort.
Letting time cook your food makes you appreciate the time you have to wait for something.
Rib Rub:
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Maybe a little more if you like a little more kick)
Recipe from "Street Food Chicago" by chef Mike Baruch
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