Cherry Cola Ribs

For dry rub, whisk salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper together in a small bowl; set aside.

For wet rub, whisk mustard, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cherry cola together in a small bowl; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120  degrees C). Line a sheet pan with a piece of foil long enough to extend past the rack of ribs by at least 6 inches on both ends. Use large size, heavy-duty foil if possible. Place the ribs, meat side up, on the foil.

Brush wet rub over top and sides, and sprinkle about 60% of dry rub over the surface. Turn ribs over and, with the bone side up, brush with wet rub, then sprinkle with all the remaining dry rub. Reserve any wet rub left at this point.

Center the ribs lengthwise on the foil, and bring up the ends of the foil, like a boat, and crimp so any juices will stay inside. Crimp the two long edges together over the top of the ribs. The foil doesn’t have to be airtight, but the whole rack should be covered.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours. Remove, open the foil, and pour off juices that have accumulated in the foil into a saucepan.

Turn the rack meat side up, and brush with wet rub. Enclose again in the foil, and continue to roast at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour.

While meat is cooking, add any remaining wet rub to the juices in the saucepan, then add the 1 1/2 cups cherry cola, ketchup, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Bring to a simmer on medium high, cook until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat further, and simmer liquids very slowly until they eventually thicken and become sauce-like. Once it is the thickness of barbecue sauce, remove from heat entirely.

After one hour at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), remove ribs from the oven, and open out the foil, pressing foil flat to line the pan.

Turn the oven temperature up to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Brush ribs with sauce. Return ribs to the oven for 15 minutes. Repeat this process, brushing ribs with sauce every 15 minutes, until ribs are tender and come easily off the bone, about 1 hour more. (See Note)

Let ribs rest for about 10 minutes. Slice between each rib with a sharp knife, and serve with extra sauce.