Sweet Tea Ribs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with foil.

For ribs, place ribs on the prepared pan, meat side down. Use a sharp knife to make a few slashes and puncture marks into the meat through the membrane that covers the ribs.

Turn the rack meat side up, and paint mustard evenly over the surface. Combine salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly over mustard. For this recipe, the underside of the rack does not need to be seasoned.

Bake ribs in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool completely on the counter, about 1 hour. Wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

Unwrap ribs and slice evenly between each bone to separate into individual ribs.

For sauce, pour water into a pan and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat. Add teabags, and give the water a stir. Turn off the heat and let tea steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove teabags; squeeze liquid back into the pan.

Add sugar, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and add the ribs. Place ribs on their sides, so they fit compactly together. Baste or brush tops with sauce, cover, and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, turning ribs over once halfway through cooking time.

Uncover, increase heat to medium-low, and turn ribs over again. Simmer until meat is very tender, but not yet falling off the bone, basting and turning ribs occasionally, 20 to 40 minutes more.

Once tender, remove ribs to a plate and set aside. Cook sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Transfer ribs back into sauce, reduce heat to low, and cook ribs, basting occasionally until heated through and sauce is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced green onions to serve.