Absolutely the Very Best Barbequed Pork Ribs Ever

This is a recipe that my friend and gallery partner, Anna, made up herself (see previous post The Old Adobe Church, the Wolf and Survival), although she took some ideas from Saveur Magazine.

She says she always makes do with whatever she has at home, so it’s always a little different. It’s just that kind of recipe. Always be ready to substitute.

On this day she started with a big jar of apple juice (and added another jar later), mixed with some apple cider vinegar (about 1 cup). Then she added some molasses (about 1/2 cup to 1 to 2 gallons of apple juice). Put that on the stove in a big pot. You can also add some beer or wine if you’d like. Are you getting the picture here? This is a shoot-from-the-hip kind of recipe. You’re supposed to feel it out as much as anything else. Use your instincts, kind of like painting.

Add either Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce—or both—between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup total.

Anna believes in using a lot of garlic and it should be fresh. Then she adds some liquid smoke. You have to wing it on this but use, perhaps, a tablespoon, “Until it smells yummy,” Anna says.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of mustard—whatever kind you like. Anna is using Dijon. Add a little tomato paste—however much you like—maybe a couple of tablespoons. Anna used a whole can.

Add 1-2 onions. These can be chopped big.

For spices she uses ground cloves and the wonderful hot red chili powder that we sell at the gallery, grown and roasted by our friend, Arlene’s, dad—very flavorful, not just hot. Add some salt (and pepper if you want). Taste and correct the spices. At this point Anna tossed in a little hot green chili. “That’s the southwest style,” she said, smiling.

Heat it to boiling. Put the ribs in the boiling liquid, laid around the pot in a ring, totally submerged. Return to a boil.

Put the whole pot in the oven at 325. Bake for at least 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Once they’re done (tender but not falling apart) they can sit in a cold oven until you’re ready to grill them.