I believe that ribs should be cooked very slowly. I believe that nearly all traces of fat should be rendered during the cooking process so I may enjoy maximum flavor. I believe that there should be a smokiness imparted to the sweet flavor of the meat. I believe that if ribs are par-boiled, someone is stealing flavor from me. I believe the ribs should be tender, but not so much that all the meat comes off the bone at the slightest provocation. If the ribs are served in a pool of sauce, I believe that someone’s trying to hide something. I believe that most of the saucing should be at my discretion. I believe that some heat in the sauce is a very good thing. I believe that the best sides for ribs are coleslaw, fries and/or potato salad (though, I’ll concede, this is up to the diner). Finally, I believe that if any of these points are ignored, eating said ribs could cause irreparable damage to my psyche.
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Dennis Lowry, Sauce Magazine 

Amen. I like this guy’s dedication to the art that can be a good rib. I agree with everything he said (especially the part about saucing being at my discretion - I order dry ribs and sauce them myself), except that I prefer beans with my ribs. And like any good southern girl, I’m talking about pork. Not beef.