Dad's Spareribs

These barbecued ribs can be cooked on the grill or in the oven

6 pounds spareribs

1 medium onion quartered, studded with 6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup dry red wine (red wine vinegar can be substituted)

1/3 cup ketchup (chili sauce is an excellent substitution)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons honey

2 cloves garlic finely minced (I always use garlic powder instead)

1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Directions for pork ribs

Cut ribs between rib bones. Place in a large pot; cover with water. Add clove studded onion and herbs to ribs in pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 45 minutes, or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs and place in a shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine red wine, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, honey, garlic and barbecue sauce; stir well. Pour sauce over meat, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (better if marinate over night). Grill ribs or bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Baste pork ribs with marinade frequently during cooking. Barbecued ribs recipe serves 6.

I have found that short ribs are much easier to work with than a full rack of pork ribs. Most packages of pork short ribs are about 2 ½ pounds each, so I usually cook 2 sides of ribs at once. If you want extra thick sauce, add ketchup or barbecue sauce to the recipe. All the herbs and slow cooking get all of the fat out of the ribs, add tremendous flavor and make the ribs much more tender.

Dennis Lancaster