soul food.

There are certain recipes and dishes that just scream comfort food, and this is definitely one of them. I'm not sure if it's because it reminds me of my younger years and my mom cooking in the kitchen, or maybe it's the smell that infuses throughout the whole house when you're making this dish, or possibly it's just because they're soooo good!

My recent trip home to the Niagara Region in Ontario, Canada left me feeling a little nostalgic and craving some of the comfort foods reminiscent of "home". Joe and I stayed at my mom's house, and just as I anticipated, it only took a couple hours of settling in before everyone was asking me what I was making for dinner. Classic!
This recipe originally came from the Encyclopedia of Cooking, a cookbook that my mom inherited from my grandma about 25 years ago. The book no longer has a cover on it, half of the index is missing, and a number of the pages are permanently stuck together by a number of unidentified ingredients. This particular recipe is covered with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce which is just a testament to the number of times we've made...or possibly to how messy I am in the kitchen.
In general, pork back ribs are more meaty and tender than side ribs, but also quite a bit more expensive. I've made this recipe using both types, and they both taste great, but because side ribs are slightly tougher, they may require more time in the oven before they become tender.


Barbecue - Style  Spareribs
       (Serves 4 to 6)

- (4 to 5) lbs. of fresh or frozen pork spareribs
- (1) cup of ketchup
- (1/4) cup vinegar
- (1/4) cup Worcestershire sauce
- (1) tsp. salt
- (1) tsp. pepper
- (2) tsp. chili powder
- (1/4) tsp. cayenne pepper (add a little extra if you like them spicy)
- (1 or 2) small to medium onions, finely chopped
- (1 1/2) cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When you buy ribs in the store, they will normally come in a pack with two racks of ribs. The first thing you'll want to do is cut each rack into smaller pieces. This can be done with either a good pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife. Cut the ribs into 3 to 4 bone sections, cutting right between two bones.

Arrange the ribs in a slightly deeper baking dish, preferably something with a lid. Don't worry if the ribs overlap, the sauce will cover all the ribs and they will still cook throughout.

In a separate bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. If you like your ribs a little spicier, doubling the cayenne pepper should give it a good kick.

Once the sauce is prepared, pour the entire bowl right over the ribs, making sure that all the ribs are completely covered.

Put the lid on your baking dish and pop it into the oven. If you don't have a lid, cover the dish completely with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs for approximately 2 hours, making sure to turn and baste the ribs a couple times while they're baking. You want to make sure the ribs stay moist and saucy. If your ribs are quite thick to begin with (or if you're cooking more than 5 lbs of ribs), they could take longer than 2 hours. Just keep an eye on them as they shouldn't be tough at all and should fall right off the bone. Remove the lid or aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes of baking.

This recipe ends of yielding a fair amount of extra sauce. Top your ribs with an extra scoopful of sauce and pour some on top of your rice or potatoes too....yum!