Mary Ellis – Recipe for Romance – Part 1 of 2

Mary Ellis shares her recipe for dry rub ribs plus a chance to win a copy of her latest Romantic Suspense, What Happened on Beale Street. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated April 11 – 14 to enter the drawing, U.S. and Canada only. Deadline April 23rd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Mary:

Since my story takes place in Memphis, TN, my husband and I enjoyed barbeque while researching on Beale Street. This photo was taken at B. B. King’s Restaurant where we enjoyed his famous Memphis ribs, baked beans, southern coleslaw and cornbread. Since returning home I’ve tried cooking dry rub ribs, Memphis style. We’ll never go back to sticky ribs again. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Memphis-Style Pork Ribs Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 5 hours   Yield: Serves 4.
Note: St. Louis-cut ribs are best for this recipe or regular spare ribs, not baby back ribs.
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 St. Louis-cut or spare rib racks

Process:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together and rub over the ribs. If you have time, refrigerate dry ingredients overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Get your grill or smoker going. You want fairly low heat, about 200-220°F. Make sure you have room for all ribs not directly over the heat. Lay the ribs flat. They should not sizzle. If they do, cool the grill until the ribs no longer sizzle when placed on rack. Cover the grill or smoker and walk away for an hour.
3. Turn and rotate the ribs every hour so they cook evenly. You shouldn’t have to baste them. The fat in the ribs will do the basting for you. The ribs will be done in 4-8 hours, depending on the temperature of your cooker and the preferred doneness of your ribs.

About Mary: Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances set during the Civil War. Her latest, What Happened on Beale Street, is second of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, from Harvest House Publishers. Before “retiring” to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. Mary enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat.

Learn more and connect:

Mary’s Website                    Mary’s Facebook

About the book: What Happened on Beale Street – Secrets of the South Mysteries (Book 2) :

How Can Music So Beautiful

Hide Something So Deadly?

A cryptic plea for help from a childhood friend sends cousins Nate and Nicki Price from New Orleans to Memphis. When these two private investigators arrive at Danny Andre’s last known address, they discover signs of a struggle and a lifestyle not in keeping with the choirboy they fondly remember.
Danny’s sister, Isabelle, reluctantly accepts their help. She and Nate aren’t on the best of terms due to a shared past. Can they get beyond painful memories to find her brother?
And what on earth was Danny involved in besides becoming a rising star as a sax player? Nate and Nicki follow clues into dim and smoky clubs, trail potential stalkers, and challenge dangerous men with connections to underworld drug trafficking. To complicate things, the hotel they are staying in has its own secrets. Confronted with murder and mystery in the land of the Delta blues, the cousins and Isabelle will have to rely on their faith and investigative experience to solve the case and not lose their lives.

Can’t wait for the drawing? Purchase now: What Happened on Beale Street

Question for Readers: Do you like ribs sticky or dry? Do you eat ribs in public?

Come back April 14th for Mary’s Excerpt!