Ribs might be the hardest dish to serve up perfect on any given holiday. Sure, you can buy them pre-smoked and reheat it on the grill or in the oven, but that's cheating. Plus, this guys makes it look stupid easy if you just pay attention to the meat, the heat, and the smoke.

Arron Franklin is the owner and smoker of Franklin BBQ in Austin, TX. It's been repeatedly voted #1 BBQ in Texas, which means it's the best BBQ in the entire world. And it's shocking how much emphasis he puts on the simple things. Little salt, little pepper, and oddly enough, he smokes with oak. That's odd because mesquite and hickory are the traditional woods, but we'll indulge. He makes the best BBQ in the world, he can't be wrong.

Much like all BBQ, real ribs aren't basted in sauce or drenched in vinegar. That's just other states attempts at being BBQ, and their failures are the things that stoke Oklahoma and Texas fireboxes.

Follow the directions, take the advice, and while you'll probably ruin one or two racks learning, it'll be worth mastering in the end.

Also, sauce. You're more than welcome to dip your perfect meat in a tasty sauce, but reaching for the sweet stuff is just sad. Big brands like KC Masterpiece, Kraft, Stubb's, Sweet Baby Ray's, Bulls Eye, ect... don't know a thing about BBQ. That's just sugar sauce. Get yourself a respectable condiment that won't require a punch to your man card. Pick up a bottle of Head Country Hickory, Head Country Hot, or surprisingly, Rib Crib sells their amazing hot sauce too that balances heat with sweet. Those are your choices. Don't make the rookie mistake by purchasing "What we always get."

BONUS: You get double man-points if you bust out the giant beef ribs.

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