Conference turris::cooks

    
    I've been trying to cook decent ribs for a long time, but they always
    seemed tough in the end.  Apparently the secret is to boil them
    first.  I use different types of barbecue sauce ranging from homemade
    to store bought depending upon how ambitious I am.  Of the storebought
    brands, I particularly like Texas Best.  Anyway, here's the way
    I've been doing it, and it comes out pretty good ..
    
    Boil enough water to cover the ribs, then add ribs and boil for
    45 mins to an hour.  Drain off all the water and let cool.
    
    Next, brush the ribs with a generous amount of barbecue sauce, and
    place them in a bowl or plastic bag.  Put them in the refrigerator,
    and let them marinate approx 24 hrs (12 hours is sufficient).
    
    Place the ribs on a shallow baking pan, and bake them in a 350 degree
    oven until they reach desired degree of doneness.  I find an hour
    or hour and 1/2 is usually sufficient.
    
    

    You might try adding an onion and some celery to  your water...it
    will add a little extra flavor to the meat.
    
    They're really very good if you grill them after boiling and marinating.

    If you have a Microwave....put them in there for about 15 min.
    That's what I do with Chicken and Ribs.
    
    Tony....

for microwave oven owners:

My roommate makes the best ribs in the world...

she marinates for a full 24 hours in a red wine based marinade...
coat generously with favorite barbecue sauce and cook them as per the
instructions in the microwave oven until approx. 2/3 done.  Then we
grill on the barbecue...they are always tasty and tender when done
this way and they don't have to stay on the grill so long they turn
black.

The marinade, microwave, and barbecue trick also makes for nicely
done large roasts which can get charred on the outside when cooked
only on the grill.

     			Margie's Ribs Marinade

     INGREDIENTS:

     	lots of ribs
     	dry red wine
     	garlic cloves
     	onions
     	black pepper
     	lemon juice (fresh preferred)

You need enough marinade to really cover the meat, so for each cup of
red wine:

     Put wine in blender or processor with 1 med. onion peeled and
     quartered, 2 cloves garlic (less if you are a whimp about garlic),
     2-3 teaspoons black pepper, 4 tablespoons lemon juice.  Pulverize
     this until it is thoroughly mixed together and pour over the ribs
     in a large dish or pan.  Cover and leave in the fridge at least
     24 hours, turning the ribs when you think about it if you didn't
     make enough marinade to cover the meat.  After 24 hours, dry
     the meat off, dip in your favorite barbecue sauce and proceed
     to cook approx. 2/3 done in microwave.  Finish over mesquite
     coals....eat.

     You will note this marinade has no salt (toughens the meat) and
     no oil as you don't want an oily product if you want the
     barbecue sauce to stick to the meat.  The trick for any marinade
     to really affect the taste of the meat is to leave it there for
     a LOOOONG time...at least 24 hours.

    6 servings
    
    6 tablespoons soy sauce
    1/4 cup hoisin sauce*
    1/4 cup dry Sherry
    1/4 cup honey
    1/4 cup catsup
    1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
    1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    
    4 pounds baby back pork ribs
    
    Whisk first 8 ingredients together in medium bowl to blend.
    Place ribs in a large baking pan. Pour marinade over, turning to
    coat ribs. Refridgerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
    
    Preheat oven to 350*F. Remove ribs from marinade and place in single
    layer on shallow baking pan. Bake 30 minutes. Turn ribs over and
    baste with marinade. Continue baking until tender, basting once,
    about 35 minutes. Serve hot.
    
    *Available at oriental markets and in oriental section of some
     supermarkets.
    

    Ribs, I have found, can be tough, as several people have mentioned.  I
    have followed the advice of a friend of mine from Texas who barbeques
    all the time, and he recommends that the ribs be boiled in BEER first,
    for about a half hour.  Beer softens the ribs and they become receptive
    to marinades better.