Thai Spareribs

"If the moon were made of barbecue spareribs, would you eat it?  I know I would.  Heck, I'd have seconds.  And then polish it off with a tall, cool Budweiser."

~Will Ferrell

I keep trying ribs recipes.  Over the years I've made them countless ways.  On the grill, in the oven, in the crock-pot, and all with varied results.   When I saw this recipe in the Feb/2011 Bon Appetit, I had to give it a try.

It's a keeper.  As usual, I tweaked it some, and will give it to you the way I made them.  For one, the original recipe calls for lemon-grass and I couldn't find any.  It is another one of those recipes you have to think ahead a bit and start them the day before, but the payoff of that foresight is worth it!  They came out fall-off-the-bone tender, super-flavorful and with just the right amount of heat and glaze.  They were really great.  "Freaking awesome" were my husband's exact words.  I'm thinking they would be superb super bowl fare as long as you provide lots of napkins and icy cold beer.

Thai Spareribs

6 pounds spareribs, cut into 2-rib portions

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons Thai peanut sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 large garlic cloves

A 1-inch piece of fresh garlic, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I substituted 1/4 cup cream of coconut and 1/4 hot water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange ribs in single layer in large roasting pan.  Add just enough boiling water to cover ribs.  Cover pan with foil.  Oven-braise ribs until almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, add all remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Cool ribs, still covered, for 30 minutes.  Transfer ribs to heavy-duty 2 gallon resealable plastic bag; discard braising liquid.  Pour marinade into bag.  Seal top and turn to coat ribs evenly.  Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using tongs, arrange ribs in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet.  Spoon marinade from bag over ribs.  Roast uncovered until ribs are very tender, basting often with marinade, about 1 1/2 hours.  [Keep an eye on them, so you don't let the marinade evaporate completely].