The debate on ribs has ended in my home. After years of toil I have finally capitulated and agreed to make ribs the fool proof way every time. Consequently the neighbors, the kids, and family from out of town all place special requests for ribs.

To begin pre-heat your oven or BBQ to around 200? degrees Fahrenheit. If the heat reaches much above 250 ? degrees you run the considerable risk of your ribs drying out.

Next rub the ribs with your favorite dry rub and place them bone side up in a roasting pan. I have found that jarred dry rubs are well balanced with sweet and spice and make for a good tasting rib. If you have a particular preference mix up a batch of your own personal seasonings and store it in an air tight container with the rest of your spices. You will then always have your favorite rub on hand.

Allow the ribs to bake for 8 to 12 hours. The longer the ribs slow cook the better the final product tastes.

You can cut this time in half if need be and still have a great rib. Just try it out and see what works best for you and your family. Our house hold is usually up early and we easily have plenty of time to put the ribs in and have them ready for supper.

When the ribs are done separate them and roll them in your favorite BBQ sauce. This allows you to customize the ribs to the tastes in your family and quests. I always seem to end up with three batches of ribs, the spicy zip things up batch, the sweet and savory mellow batch, and the plain old don't mess with perfection just leave my ribs dry batch.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com