Its game time! Seattle is in Superbowl fever, there is not ONE person in Seattle, Redmond, Bellevue and surrounding areas who isn’t possessed by the Superbowl madness. You really can’t go anywhere and not noticing the 12th man flag, people wearing Seahawks Jerseys, blue Friday promotions in the stores and the hundreds of Facebook photos showing something Seahawks related and then of course all the cars sporting the Seahwaks flag on the outside windows – its just sheer insane right now but I have to say an amazing time to be in Seattle and to see an entire state being so proud and supportive of their football team.

Mike and I will have friends over to watch the game and of course the most important question is: what to serve for Superbowl Sunday? I have chosen a very special dish that Mike’s grandpa (Hi David!) prepared approx. 8 years ago according to a recipe from grandma’s brother Lloyd – Lloyd’s Texan style smoked ribs – clearly I couldn’t forget them, and its time to get the smoker out and prepare something very special for the special Seahawks day. Granny’s brother makes this very special rub that you put on the ribs and let them sit in the rub overnight. The next day you put those delicious smelling ribs into the smoker and go through a couple of different stages of smoking the ribs and the outcome is very tender, super succulent and extremely tasty meat that falls off the bone the moment you grab a rib. It sounds like a lot of work but it really isn’t and its absolutely worth it!

Ok no more storytelling, there is some urgency for me to get into the kitchen to get everything prepared for the big day tomorrow. Besides smoked ribs we will have pulled pork and a crepe bar where everybody can fabricate their own crepe – yum, I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Lloyds Texas style smoked ribs:

First Stage Dry Rub:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup garlic salt
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons onion salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Comment: This makes WAY more rub than you will need for your ribs, but I love having the rub around and put the left overs in a mason jar and use it for all kind of other recipes (e.g. pulled pork).

Second Stage:
1/2 cup apple juice per slab
1/2 cup grape juice per slab

Third Stage:
sprinkle more of the rub on the ribs plus 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne (if you like a little bit more spice).

The process:

1. Rub in the dry rub all over the meat, wrap it in foil and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day  put the ribs into a smoker with pre-soaked woodchips or you can also make it on the BBQ, just put the charcoal on one side and the wood chips on the other side and cook the ribs on the warm side of the pit. The fire should be low-medium hot (250 degrees). I used cherry chips that I pre-soaked in water, but hickory wood would be good too.
3. Smoke the ribs for about 2 – 3 hours on the warm side of pit (or in the smoker/middle shelf). 
4. After 2 hours check on the ribs and if they look good to you, remove the ribs and put them in a large foil pan and pour the liquid (2nd stage) over the ribs. Wrap the foil pan tight sealing in the liquid and put the pan back into the smoker/onto the BBQ for another hour. .
5. Remove the wrapped ribs from the pit/smoker and remove the foil and apply a medium coat of the Third Stage rub to the meat-side of the ribs plus some more salt and cayenne pepper. Put the ribs uncovered on the pit meat-side up for 30 minutes.

Guten Appetit and Go Hawks! Show those ponies who is holding the reins!