Well, well, well. Ribs. Garrett may have a thing or two to say about 'em too. I like the brown sugar for your rub. I use tons of it in mine; it's the base of my rub. You could always add a touch of Liquid Smoke if you want some smokiness and a grilled feel to them. I've seen guys use 7-UP to do quick boil or even added to the crock pot recipe along with sauces and mustards. Usually the only way to mess up ribs is to cook them too long, or heaven forbid undercook them. I've had watermelon sauce, mustard, Caribbean, tomato-ketchup-based, simply salt and black pepper, massive paprika, Greek rubs, garlic rubs, peach, mango and other fruits, cherry chutney, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper and 7-Up based sauces/boils, vinegar with ketchup, apple vinegar with a variety of spices, honey, cocoa and spice rubs, lemon pepper, damn near anything edible that you can use. Usually the crock pot ribs are ultra tender and succulent. Now, what beers did you pair with them? That is the question.[:D][:p]

One of the most intruiguing ways to cook ribs was from an episode of Good Eats. Alton Brown is someone who I've learned quite a bit of cooking techniques from, and I think the guy's a riot. He cooked his ribs in the oven and basically braised them in this mixture, then cooled it down, skimmed the fat and turned the braising liquid into a sauce. I believe the braising liquid contained a mixture of orange juice, pre-mixed margarita drink, honey, ketchup, Wooster sauce, instant espresso/coffee powder and a standard rub down with dark brown sugar base rub. Very unique and very Carribbean-ish. But yeah, ribs are wonderful. We wind up going thru dozens of them thru the year. I've been on a pork butt kick though lately. A little cheaper than ribs, and man...a thoroughly smoked pork butt with a solid 1" smoke ring is something wonderful. Shred that with some pig pickin' sauce. Incredible.

[:D]