Louise, if they are a little dry, that suggests that they have lost too much moisture ( sorry, don't mean to offend by making it sound too obvious). While I used to think differently, from what I read I now understand that the main thing that effects the moisture in the meat is the temperature of the meat. If you steam meat or even boil it to an internal temp of 175, or put it a dry environment to the same internal temp - the moisture in the meat will be exactly the same ( would have been helpful to know that before I bought my combi steamer ) BTW - yes, the ribs cooked in the dry heat will be a little drier on the outside, but the inside of the meat will be just as moist as the one cooked in steam. The best way to retain moisture is to cook long and slow to break down the fat in the meat, and to try to avoid overcooking, and drying out, much of the meat. Another method is to use the closed cooking container - the moisture in the container allows the meat to transfer to the meat more efficiently. The worst method, of course, would be to put it uncovered in an oven at 500, by the time the middle of the rib meat came to a proper temp, the rest of the ribs would be a much higher temp, and be extremely dry. If you are a rib fanatic, you have a couple of choices, imho. Low and slow on a smoker ( or a gas grill, indirect heat, with smoking chips ), or low and slow in a gas oven, finish on the grill, or, if you are truly insane, smoke for 30 minutes on a smoker or gas grill with chips, then sous vide for 36 hours at 142 F, then finish for 5 to 10 min on a grill or in a broiler . I have adopted the sous vide method, yes it is a pain to do all the steps, but the direct time spent cooking while you are watching is pretty short ( just the time on the grill or broiler ) and the texture is unbelievably moist, and the timing works great for me, I smoke them, put them in a bag in the fridge, next morning put them in sous vide, and they are ready for dinner the following night. If you are looking for sauce recipes, or anything to do with cooking ribs, amazingribs.com is a great resource, even though they don't cover sous vide. Here is a link that might be useful: amazingribs

I didn't think earlier, but this is an excellent dish for using up cooked meats. It calls for beef or lamb, but I have made it with roast pork or chicken as well and it is delicious. Lamb or Beef Jhal Fraizi -from, "Foolproof Indian Cooking," by Madhur Jaffrey-with slight changes and notes of my own. 350 g (12 oz) cooked, boneless roast lamb or beef 3 T olive oil 1/4 t cumin seeds 1/4 t brown mustard seeds** 8 fenugreek seeds*** 100 g (1 medium) green bell pepper, cut into strips. 1-2 hot green chilies (such as serranos), cut into long, thin slivers. (****Ms. Jaffrey says not to remove the seeds, but if you've a tender mouth, I would scrape the seeds & pith out to cool the dish down.) 150 g (1 medium) onion, cut into half rings, similar in size to the peppers. 1 t Worcestershire sauce 1 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1/4 t ground turmeric 3/4 t salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste. Julienne the cooked meats in 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips. Heat the oil over a medium high heat until quite hot, then add the cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds. The mustard seeds will begin to pop, when they do, add the bell pepper, onion, and chilies. Stir fry until the onions & peppers are wilted, and perhaps beginning to brown a bit (but not much) and add the meat and other seasonings. Heat through. ****************************************************** This is very good with some plain rice and a side of plain yogurt or a yogurt raita of some kind as a cooling foil to the spiciness of the dish. A simple raita can be made by mixing half a cup of plain yogurt with a couple of tablespoons of grated, squeezed (to remove excess liquid) cucumber and a teaspoon or so of minced mint or cilantro, adding a bit of salt if you like. **Plain, yellow mustard seeds will work as well, if you've got some on hand already and don't want to search out and buy brown just for this recipe. ***It doesn't sound like much, but fenugreek is quite potent, and the flavor is distinct. Fenugreek also keeps a long, long time, much longer than most spices. There really isn't anything I can think of that would be similar, but if you need to do without it, something slightly sweet but pungent would work--maybe some minced cilantro or mint, added at the last minute.

Let'sremodel, will you post more info about what you do with the fish sauce and brown sugar method? I never cooked country style ribs before a couple of years ago when I read about them here. I was never any kind of a rib fan, having been raised on what I think were short ribs and I hated the way my mother fixed them. But then I saw country ribs at our farmer's market butcher stand and decide to try them. I used AnnT's recipe and it is so delicious, I've never tried another, although I use red bell pepper instead of green because I prefer it. Oh, and I use a little less cayenne because I'm a wimp. Ann, I hope you don't mind me reposting your recipe (posted in 2008). Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Ribs - Country Style Ribs ========================= This is adapted from a Paul Prudhomme Recipe. Seasoning Mix 1 Tablespoon Salt 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 to 4 pounds of country style ribs 1 onion chopped 1 large green pepper chopped 1 cup of chicken stock (may need more) . Mix ingredients for seasoning together. Place ribs in a ungreased baking pan and rub the meat with the seasoning mix. Rub meat with a small amount of oil and roast in a 500° oven for 30 minutes turning often until the ribs are brown and the fat is crispy. Reduce temperature to 350° and sprinkle the meat with the onions and green peppers and add the chicken broth. Return the pan to the oven and roast additional hour or until meat is tender. Check occasionally and add more broth as needed. Serve over white rice.

Not everyone uses sauce. If you put a light glaze on them after re-heating and offer the sauce as a condiment, you are giving your guests a choice. "Good barbecue don't need no sauce." Myron Mixon, 6 time Memphis In May Champion