I Love My Baby Back Ribs...Grandma Shirley's Ribs

Makes 2-4 Servings

Ingredients:
5lbs Pork Baby Back Ribs (about 2 racks)
1- 22oz Bottle of Hard Apple Cider (I used and LOVE Honey Crispin, but use your favorite)*

1/2 C. BBQ Sauce (I used "Austin's Own", which contains sugar, but use your favorite)**
~or~
1/4 C. Whole9 Coffee Rub (I'm pretty sure that this rub would taste good on anything...LOVE it!!!)

From Whole9's Facebook Page:
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp whole coriander
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp raw sugar (optional)
1 tsp freshly ground coffee

Covers two average steaks. We recommend making more. You'll want more. 
Adapted/improvised from Cree LeFavour's "The New Steak."

*This recipe is something that my grandma used to make...she used a light beer, like Coors Light. In my pre-Paleo days, this is how I would make this recipe, but have found that I actually like this version much better. Though I wouldn't consider hard cider to be healthy, it's a great way to tenderize the meat and add a little sweetness without the gluten (always be sure to check your labels!). You can also use pure apple juice, as an alternative.

**A few options for Paleo-friendly BBQ sauce are here, here, and here.

1. Preheat oven to 415F.
2. Add ribs, meaty side down, to a dutch oven*** (I cut mine in half, giving me four rib sections) and cover with hard cider; they do not need to be completely immersed, as they will steam. Cover with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. 
3. Cook the ribs for 4.5 hours (check after 2 hours, to make sure that there is still liquid in the dutch oven); the meat will plump up a bit and will begin to fall off the bone.
4. Remove from oven and transfer ribs to a large plate or platter.****  Paint the meat-side of the ribs with BBQ sauce or rub with the Coffee Rub and set aside. 
5. Prepare your charcoal or grill (I use hickory wood chunks, when barbecuing ribs, but use what you've got). I've also recently begun using a Traeger, to heat to temperature and then smoke the already cooked ribs...SO GOOD!!!
6. Once your grill is ready (I wait until my charcoal or wood is grey) transfer the ribs to your grill, meat-side up and put a lid on it. Cook the meat for 10 minutes. 
7. Flip the ribs and cook for another 5-7 minutes, but check after 3 to ensure that they are getting a good char...not burning. 
8. Remove from the grill and serve with your favorite side. I made a salad with mixed baby greens, yellow bell peppers, and a vinaigrette of lemon juice, hazelnut oil, olive oil, smoked paprika, and sea salt.

***You can also use a crock pot for this step; I've never done so, but am sure that it would work just as well. Follow your crock pot's instructions. 

****You can cool the ribs and store in the fridge, for up to two days, at this point. Just be sure to take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to grill them, so that they're not going on the grill cold...they're more likely to burn while you try to get them reheated.