What’s summer without a barbecue? Get out your grill and cook up some savory food to share with family and friends. Residential and Hospitality Services Senior Executive Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski offers a recipe and some tips to make the most of your summer barbecue.

Smokestack Spartan Ribs

Rib Rub:

¼ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

¼ cup chili powder

3 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoon onion salt

2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon curry

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 lemon, cut in half

1 orange, cut in half

To make the rub mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and reserve until needed. **Feel free to use your own blend, or favorite from the store.

Cut the rack of ribs in half to make them easier to work with.  Cut the lemon and orange in half and rub on the ribs. Sprinkle each side of the ribs generously with your rib rub and then put into a zip lock bag, with the lemons and oranges, and refrigerate for 4-12 hours, or overnight.

Pull the ribs out of the fridge and preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place two pieces of foil down next to each other, overlapping just a little and then some parchment paper in the middle. Put the ribs with the lemons and oranges on top of them on the parchment paper and loosely wrap the ribs up in the foil.

Cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours. Remove from oven and let cool.

To finish, turn your grill on to medium high and heat up the ribs while basting with your favorite barbecue sauce. It will take about 12-15 minutes to heat through and finish cooking.

Chef Kurt recommends grilling firm tofu as a vegetarian option. Tofu is absorptive and will take on whatever flavors you want to add. It can also be cooked in a smoker.

“You can actually smoke tofu and then you can baste it with a little bit of BBQ sauce and you’d be surprised how good that really tastes,” he said.

Asparagus is a great side vegetable for any barbecue, especially now that it’s in season and available at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market. Chef Kurt recommends grilling asparagus with olive oil and cracked black pepper and adding a little bit of salt and balsamic vinegar when they come off.

Follow safety tips provided by the CDC and the National Fire Protection Association to keep your barbecue safe.

Experience something new this Fourth of July and throughout the summer with good food, good company and good times. Happy grilling!