We brine them in a brine, of course.
Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!Seriously though, its a simple combination of water, salt, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, mustard seed, fennel seed, garlic cloves, peppercorns, soy and Worcestershire sauces, wine and, for sweetness, apple cider. (You could also use dark brown sugar or molasses instead of juice). The water, dry spices, herbs, garlic and onion are heated just to a boil and then removed from the heat. Then the sauces are added and the mixture is left to cool until just warm. While the mixture is cooling, remove the membrane from the ribs and trim however you like. Once the mixture has cooled to just warm, add in the wine and juice to taste. You're looking for a balance of sweet, salt and woodsiness. When you're happy with the balance, pour the brine into a cooler and add a bag of ice. Submerge the ribs into the brine and add more ice if necessary to make sure there is enough volume to keep the ribs covered.
The longer the ribs soak in the brine, the more brine they soak up. Overnight is usually plenty of time but ribs we brought to the holiday party soaked for about 24 hours.
When you're ready to smoke them, remove them from the brine and let them drip dry a bit. Don't wipe off the brine. You can then apply your favorite rub (D-Dog's Original Rub might be an excellent choice) and head for the smoker.
This brine also works really well on pork butts too.
