Anyone from the south of Mason-Dixon Line would consider my ribs to be a blasphemous attempt at a BBQ by a Russian girl from New England - at least until they taste them. I must admit that authenticity is not these ribs' strong point, but I've never eaten pork more delicious in my life.

Here is how this recipe came about. A few years ago, I asked Pierre Jenatton, my colleague at CCAE, to cater my husband's birthday party. Pierre admirably rose to the occasion with a spectacular cook-out, the crown jewel of which were his ribs. These sticky racks of pork goodness fell apart at the touch of a fork and melted in the mouth.

This inspired me to start experimenting with ribs. After reading through a dozen or so recipes on epicurious.com, I learned some helpful tips. The most important one did not come from the recipes, but from the people rating them - the beauty of epicurious. As I suspected, slow smoking on the grill would not result in that fall-of-the-bone texture. The best method to achieve that kind of tenderness is a quick sear on the grill, followed by a slow braise in the sauce. This worked like a charm, and I got that velvety texture I liked so much about Pierre's ribs.

The sauce was still giving me trouble. I tried to make it from scratch several times, but found that the results weren't worth the trouble. Fortunately, Cook's Illustrated Magazine came to the rescue. Couple of years ago, they tested most of the bottled BBQ sauces and had some great things to say about Bull's Eye. They were right on the money. It had a perfect blend of sweetness, acidity, and smokiness - just what my ribs needed.

Once I perfected my recipe, these ribs became a staple for summer gatherings in my house. As the slow heat and spices do their magic in the oven, I am free to entertain my guests. I only go to the kitchen to get the huge pan of ribs out of the oven and announce that dinner is served. A line quickly forms by the stove and everyone assembles their plate of ribs, slaw, and corn bread, and fills their glasses with a simple, oomphy red. The first toast always goes to the ribs.

Helen's Ribs Recipe

Serves 8

For the ribs: 3 Tbsp kosher salt 2 Tbsp cumin 2 Tbsp coriander 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste) 1/2 tsp black pepper 3 racks of baby back pork ribs (7-8 Lb)

For the sauce: 4 18oz bottles of Bull's Eye Original Barbecue Sauce 3 cups beef broth

Rub ribs with spices (2 days before serving)
Mix salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne and black pepper together. Cut each rack into 3-4 pieces (each piece will have 3-4 ribs). Rub the ribs with the spice rub on both sides. Then place in large zip lock bags and refrigerate for 2 days.

Grill the ribs (5 hours before serving)
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grab a wad of paper towel with tongs; dip it into oil, and brush over the grill. Grill the ribs on both sides until nicely browned all over (5-6 minutes per side). Remove to a deep baking dish (like a turkey roaster).

Preheat the oven to 275F.

Make the sauce and braise ribs
In a large saucepan, combine barbecue sauce and broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the sauce over ribs, cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 3 and a half hours. Ribs are done when they are fork tender.