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Colette & Cassi's Country Kitchen!

It looks so simple on television. Just fire up the grill, throw on a few slabs of ribs, mop them with barbecue sauce and check back in a couple of hours. I followed this plan and oh, the disappointment. I needed help and decided to consult with "America's master griller," Steven Raichlen, through the pages of his new book, "Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs" (Workman, 2006).

Ribs are easy to cook, promises Raichlen, but there's more to the process than simply throwing them on the grill. A proper rack needs to be trimmed and pealed, seasoned or marinated and mopped with sauce at the right intervals. And it's good to know when they're done. Raichlen offers this four-point game plan:

1. Trim the ribs: If you buy ribs at the supermarket, they are likely already trimmed. If not, cut away any large lumps of fat, sinews or loose pieces of bone.

2. Remove the membrane: Use a butter knife or the tip of your meat thermometer to remove this papery membrane on the bone side. It prevents the seasonings from penetrating the meat.

3. Season with rub or marinade: Whether you make your own (Raichlen offers plenty of recipes) or use a commercial dry rub or wet marinade, ribs need to be seasoned well before landing on the grill.

4. Pop-up thermometer: When the meat has shrunk back about 1/4-inch from the ends of the bones, that's a sign they're done cooking. Raichlen calls this a rib's built-in "pop-up thermometer."

The author takes great pains to describe six "live-fire" grilling techniques, depending on the type of rib: Direct grilling, modified direct, indirect, smoke roasting, smoking and spit roasting. Each is suited to particular kinds of ribs and produces a unique texture and taste. My baby-back ribs should have been grilled using the indirect method -- set to the side, not directly over the heat source. I'm anxious to have another go 'round with the ribs. And when I do, this is the recipe I'll be following. Raichlen's Rendezvous Ribs