BBQ Lamb Ribs w/Whole9 Coffee Rub

Ingredients:

2lbs Lamb Ribs (this amount made 2 small servings, due to the weight of the bones and fat)

1T. Penzeys' Orange Peel (you can also use the zest and juice of one orange)

2 Cinnamon Sticks 

1/2 Vanilla Bean (sliced in half lengthwise, so that seeds are exposed)

3T. Whole9 Coffee Rub 

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."

1. Add lamb ribs (fat-side down, bone-side up), orange peel (add orange juice and zest, if using in place of Penzeys' peel), cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean to a crock pot and cover with 2 cups of water (they don't need to be covered, as you're just wanting to sort of braise them, without the need to brown first). 
2. Cover with a lid and turn on crock pot to desired cooking temp.*
3. Once the ribs are cooked to your desired doneness, remove from the crock pot and pat dry. Rub ribs, evenly, with the Coffee Rub and transfer to preheated grill/BBQ, meat-side down.**
4. Close the grill lid and grill the ribs about 5-7 minutes, until nicely charred (not burned). 
5. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately or cover with foil until ready to serve.

*My crock pot has a "Low" or "High" setting; I set it to "Low" and cooked the ribs for about 6 hours. Cooking time will vary, depending on your crock pot, but the ribs can cook up to 8 hours and be just fine; they'll just get more tender.

**I used wood briquets for this step, but use a gas grill if that's what you've got. If using a charcoal grill, you want the charcoal to be grey and not still emitting flames. If using a gas grill, preheat and grill at about 400F. You're just going for a nice char, as the ribs are already cooked through. 

Six Hours in the Crock Pot. 

Rubbed w/Coffee Rub and Ready to Grill.

Heirloom Arugula

I served these ribs with an Arugula and Radish Salad, tossed with a Lemon-Hazelnut Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

Juice of One Small Lemon
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 T. Roasted Hazelnut Oil
Pinch of Sea Salt
Pinch of Smoked Paprika
1 T. Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Whisk ingredients together and adjust to taste.

This dressing can be made up to three days in advance, but is so easy to make that it can simply be whisked in the bottom of your serving bowl. I like to serve with mixed greens and toasted hazelnuts (if you can get Oregon hazelnuts...do it!). This would also be great with: Arugula+Peaches+Hazelnuts