As the weekend approaches, you may be searching for just the right BBQ to serve. Go smokin'- like a 95MPH fastball, and you'll score with my homerun sticky ribs. However, you need to start early; they take time, but it's so worth the wait! Your friends and family will be so glad you did.

Ribs & Sauce a perfect relationship

Everyone has a favorite way to serve ribs. Some like it dry, with just a rub. Others will dip dry ribs and then wet them down with a vinegary sauce or lather them up with a sugary, sticky sauce right before they come off the grill. Myself, I enjoy all versions. Variety is a good thing!

Ribs cannot be prepared in a hurry, so toss a burger on a separate hot grill while you wait. How to prepare the Ribs.

For Making Ribs with Sticky Sauce:

15 minutes before removing the slow-cooked ribs, lightly brush them with a little sauce to moisten and add flavor. Remove, cut, and serve ribs as is, or serve extra sauce on the side for pouring over ribs.

GH Rib Sauce

Makes 3 cups

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1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh grated orange zest

1 cup ketchup

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Place the onion, green onions, garlic, cumin, thyme, vinegar, orange juice, and sugar in a small pot. Boil until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add orange zest, soy sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, and hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes.

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With grilling season here, a good way to top off your favorite grilled meats is with my Bourbon Sauce. I dedicate this recipe to my friends in Kentucky; the inspiration for this recipe. I've used this as a great finishing sauce for most proteins; including beef, pork, and chicken. Tip: use only the best bourbon!

*VISIT ALL SUMMER LONG FOR* ***KNOW YOUR FIRE FRIDAYS***

Be very careful saying BBQ when you should be saying grilling - especially in BBQ country.

BBQ: It's a science of cooking protein by indirect heat, with dedication. I emphasize the word dedication because there is NO speedy way to BBQ. Two words, low and slow. I spent many years teaching the art of heat and fire and in this case Q. There really is so much to learn and each Q occasion is always a unique experience with many factors; like air temperature, humidity, moisture, wind, etc. One of the best ways to Know Your Fire is to experience it firsthand. It's one of those things you intrinsically feel and only come to understand when you are in the fire pit - so to speak. I tip my hat to all pitmasters.

Grilling: This is the way most people will cook with their backyard grill; grilling proteins such as burgers, steak, chicken, seafood, as well as veggies. This is the use of direct heat cooking at a higher temperature for shorter cooking times over the fire. Again, practice makes perfect, so there's no time like the present to learn or expand your current grilling skills.

Bourbon Sauce

Makes 5 cups

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1 cup Dijon Mustard

1 cup steak sauce

1 cup bourbon

1 cup honey and 1 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon orange zests

Juice of one lemon and one orange

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients; simmer gently for 4-5 minutes. Serve with ribs, steak, or grilled meats. Tip: Q Bourbon goes very well with Pork Sliders pictured right.

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