Barbecued Spareribs with Sweet or Spicy Sauce
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INGREDIENTS 1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup tomato catsup OR 1 cup peach preserves
(depending on whether your prefer a very spicy or slightly sweet sauce)
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon Tabasco
4 pounds spareribs, in 2 or 3 pieces, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick slicesPreheat the oven to 400 degrees.
While it is heating, prepare the barbecue basting sauce:
Combine the onions, catsup or peach preserves, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard and Tabasco in a 1 to 1 ½ quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
Arrange the spareribs, flesh side up, side by side on a rack set in a large shallow roasting pan and sprinkle them with the salt and a few grindings of pepper. With a pastry brush, spread about ½ cup of the basting sauce evenly over the ribs and lay the lemon slices on top.
Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for about 1 ½ hours, brushing the ribs 3 or 4 more times with the remaining sauce. The ribs are done if the meat shows no resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small skewer or knife.
Arrange the spareribs on a heated platter and serve at once.
Serves 4 to 6