A Guy, A Grill, A Rack Of Ribs, And A Side Of Reflection

Within just a couple of days, an evening dusting of snow was transformed into a lazy, freezing rain, itself only lasting until the temperature dictated that any more precipitation would be in the form of rain.

Shortly after, the sun joined in to dry things up and add warmth, providing a glimpse of spring, if only for a short time. This scenario worked perfectly with our last minute decision to include a rack of ribs in our meal plans on this Sunday, which from all appearances, was just another Sunday.

Except that it wasn’t.

As most consistent pit jockeys can attest to, lounging around pitside is quite possibly the best place to ponder, reflect, plan, and just do some good old thinkin’. With the crackling sounds of a hardwood fire and the aroma of the charred wood being carried by the wisps of ribbon-like smoke from the grill, it can be a most relaxing situation regardless of weather details. And today was no different. Except today was a day that I reached a personal goal, one that never crossed my mind a mere seven months ago, but one that I decided to commit to six months ago, and one that, in all honesty, I wasn’t sure I could achieve.

Yet here I was.

So while tending to this hardwood fire that instills a feeling of relaxation and calm, it was likewise a good day to personally and quietly reflect on the difference that mindful and consistent progress can make. With a small celebration that included the folks that both inspired and helped me, it was a great start to a good day.

And also a good day to grill up a rack of ribs, which is why we are here now, isn’t it? So I gathered the necessities, which in this case, was only a thoroughly rubbed rack of baby back ribs and a handful of applewood chunks.

With a grill set up for an indirect cook, lump hardwood on the sides and a water pan filled with water and about eight ounces of a fine hop-brewed product, I was on my way. The apple chunks were tossed on the coals, with orders to provide a little sweet smoke to these beauties.

The ribs were immediately given a surface wash of apple juice, and that little sign of affection was repeated every thirty minutes or so.

The ribs were moving along quite nicely. After a couple of hours, it was time. Time to sauce them up with just a thin coat of mild, yet complimentary sauce

And then, those bones start peeking from within the meat, that bark starts forming, and the aroma of barbecue fills the immediate area, signifying that we’re close to the end of another goal. The goal of delicious baby back ribs.

But, a final coating of sauce would be good right now, don’t ya think? Yeah, me too. We’ve waited this long, so we can wait another few minutes…

Let’s eat, shall we? It’s been a good day, and from the looks of these baby backs, it’s fixin’ to get a little better. And who knows, maybe we’ll look into what other goals we can set for ourselves…

Because Life Is Better Wood Fired