Kirin Debnath

          My first memories of cooking were with my dad. At just 6 years old I was rubbing putting salt, pepper, cinnamon, fresh garlic, and fresh rosemary on a half rack of baby back ribs and putting them into the oven to slow cook for 5 hours; all while under the supervision of my dad, my dad born and raised in the south. He started smoking meats in college and continued through Med school, moving to the Bay Area, and finally started to make ribs with me.

          Over my lifetime I've moved from just helping with prep work to actually complete the full process of smoking them. The process of lighting the coals, waiting, putting the meat on, temperature monitoring, waiting, wrapping the meat in foil, and waiting is now my own. It takes inspiration from not only my dad, but also from cooking shows, cook books, and any material I can get my hands on. Each and every time I smoke, I do it differently; always improving and trying different things. Why? because cooking is a process that will never be perfected, it can always be improved and changed.

          If you try my recipes, which I highly encourage you to do so, remember a few things. One, use the recipes as a stepping-off point. Feel free to make changes, and try new things. Two, RELAX. Smoking happens over many hours, so don't worry about making mistakes. It is completely fine if you are 5 minutes late to wrap something in tinfoil or take something out of the smoker. It is not going to ruin the product. In fact, most things aren't, ribs are almost always going to taste great so do not stress about it, just take your time, crack open a beer — if you're old enough, and sit back.

          With introductions out of the way. LET'S MAKE SOME FOOD.