Smokehouse Ribs

In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, paprika, oregano and cayenne. Rub the ribs on both sides with the spice mixture and season generously with salt and black pepper. Place the ribs on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Put the wood chips in a small bowl, add water to cover and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the wood chips and place them on a smoker tray to one side of a gas grill. Preheat the grill on medium-high heat, covered, until the wood chips begin to smoke, about 10 minutes. Turn off all but the left and right burners and reduce the heat to medium.

Set a grill-top smoking rack in the center of the grill over indirect heat. Place one slab of ribs on each shelf of the rack (the bottom slab will sit directly on the grill grates). Cover the grill and cook the ribs until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones, about 2 hours, rotating the ribs among the shelves every 45 minutes. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, baste the ribs occasionally with the barbecue sauce.

Transfer the ribs to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones and arrange on a warmed platter. Serves 6.