This is a rather elaborate recipe, particularly if you do all the cooking on a Weber kettle grill — mostly because you need to try to keep the fire at a relatively low temperature and because you will need to add more charcoal during cooking, both of which are easier said than done.  It is a crowd pleaser, though, making it a good meal for company that you don’t need to interact with.

Baby Back Ribs

1 baby back rib rack (feeds 2-3)
1 cup bourbon
1 T kosher salt
1 T dark brown sugar
1 T paprika (smoked paprika is good)
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bottle dark beer
2 cups hickory chips (if cooking entirely on the grill; 1 cup otherwise)

Place ribs in a large roasting pan and cover with bourbon.  Refrigerate 30 minutes, turning often.  Pour off and discard bourbon.

Mix salt, sugar, paprika, pepper and cumin in a small bowl.  Sprinkle mixture over ribs, covering both sides.  Let stand 1 hour.

Place hickory chips in a bowl and cover with beer.  Let stand one hour.

Preheat oven to 275° or build a fire with coals banked on one side and a foil loaf pan filled with water on the other.

On the grill: place half the hickory chips on the fire just before adding the ribs to the other side of the grill, above the loaf pan.  After about 45 minutes, you will probably need to add another chimney-full of lighted charcoal, and should add the remainder of the hickory chips at that time.  Cook for an additional 45 minutes and serve.  In the oven: wrap ribs in aluminum foil and cook for approximately 1.5 hours.  Remove foil and finish ribs on the grill for approximately 15-20 minutes, as described above.

If making multiple racks, multiply all ingredients other than bourbon, hickory chips and beer.