First, no self-respecting Q Chief would divulge his or her exact recipe, so what follows are a few variations to get you started. From there, you can add or subtract, as your taste buds dictate, and according to what critter or vegie you're cooking.

1. A BASIC Memphis Rub for 3 lbs Pork Ribs

1/4 cup Hungarian Paprika
1 TB season salt
1 TB freshly ground pepper (I like MORE)
2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground (not leaf) Oregano
1 tsp ground celery seeds

1/3 cup white vinegar

[Beforehand, I prefer to use a pair of pliers and remove the white "skin" from the underside or meatless side of the ribrack. This will result in greater penetration of the rub throughout the meat, and also make for a tastier finished product.

1. Combine the dry ingredients.

2. Mix vinegar with equal amount of water, put in spray bottle, and lightly coat surface of ribs with liquid.

3. RUB the dry mix all over both sides of ribs. For best results let sit at least an hour, and better overnight (in refrigerator) to absorb mix.

4. Bring to room temperature.

5. Place on a low heat (180 - 200) degree grill, best with hickory chips included.

6. If heat is low and meat not too close to coals, these should take at least an hour (and the longer the better....up to a point) to fully capture the aroma of the wood.

7. During the last half hour, you can (optional) spray additional vinegar/water mix on ribs, then shake a light coating on, allowing sufficient time for it to cook and crisp before serving.

8. Let rest about five minutes off fire, then serve with both the Dry Rub (aka Shake) and your favorite finishing sauce.Variations:

others add

Onion powder
Accent (aka MSG)
Meat Tenderizer
Lemon Pepper
Thyme
Sage
Coriander
White pepper
Cumin
Sweet Basil
Ground Bay Leaf
Savory
even lavendar

some even add Brown Sugar, but it tends to burn

go slowly, you are barbecuing, not grilling. The former takes hours, the latter minutes!

I'll be right over, with my plate and napkins.