Melt in your mouth Ribs

    First I have to tell you, I am NOT a ribs kinda gal.  Usually too sweet and cloying in my mouth. 2nd. the inspiration was a recipe I got out of a family recipe book that one of my husband's cousins organized.  I have NEVER met this woman in person but through facebook I have grown to LOVE her.  She is funny, witty, endearing, sweet and just plain fun. I promised her that I would make her Cherry Cola Ribs. Credit where credit is due, I did follow her Cherry cola sauce recipe but kinda went my own way on the rub and the baking of the ribs.  I used beef ribs and would change the rub a bit for pork.  Someday, I'll do pork.
      I had some fantastic ribs once many years ago when Jason was still at UCSD.  Costco had some giant tea bags and he made a rub and placed those ribs on the bags.  Heaven on earth.  He, like me, didn't remember much more than that about those ribs.  I have always wanted to duplicate them.  Tonight Zach ate 9 ribs and raved about them the whole time.  Granted, my hubby likes sweet so this was right up his alley. I ate the ribs without the sauce and they were perfect for me. Please don't misunderstand me, I think the sauce was spectacular but too sweet for me.  Most likely, this sauce is perfect for the rest of the world. I just don't do sweet.  I know there is something wrong with me.  I admit it and have done penance for years.
     What follows then is a marriage of sweet meets savory.  It's a good union and one that will last through the ups and downs of fickle tastes.
     I served this with a pea salad that I folded into a tri colored pasta.  I made some corn on the cob and called it a meal!!!!!  Oh so good.

Ingredients for the rub and cooking vapor
7 lbs of beef ribs
1 packet of peach  instant tea mix  makes 1 quart
1/4 cup Montreal Seasoning from Costco
1/4 cup onion flakes
2 TBSP of garlic powder
2 TBSP of onion powder
2 heaping TBSP of fresh ground pepper
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 jumbo onions peeled and cut in half
4 bay leaves
 2 tsp dried oregano
2 cans of cherry cola
1 cup red wine

Ribs
1. In a mixing bowl mix the first 7 ingredients.
2.  Pat  the ribs dry with a paper towel and rub the mixture onto both sides of the ribs.
3.  Place the onions cut side down in a roasting pan.
4.  Put the coated ribs on the onions.
5. Add the last 4  ingredients to the edges of the pan w/o disturbing the ribs.
6.  Cover your pan with heavy duty aluminum tightly sealed around the edge of the pan.
7.  Bake for 4 hours at 250.

Cherry cola Sauce
3 cans cherry cola
2 cups cherry jam or preserves  I used seedless Boysenberry
2/3 cups Dijon Horseradish Mustard
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP Hot Pepper Sauce   I used 2 heaping TBSP cayenne pepper

1.  Boil the cherry cola until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook on med. heat for 35 min.  Stir occasionally.
3. Take off heat and let cool.
4.  I did not BBQ my ribs.  I just spooned about half of the sauce onto the ribs and placed the ribs back into the oven for about 20 min. without a cover.
5.  I reheated the rest of the sauce and served at the table.

Made enough for 4 servings. 4 ribs each. Zach ate enough for 2 people.  I was fine with 2 ribs.

Even the onions were amazingly delicious!