Sweet & Spicy Braised Spareribs

"Dara, use this cookbook to make the ribs. This guy is the most respected barbecuing expert in all of Canada."

I know. It sounds like a joke or something. No offense to you Canadians -- now just a short drive from my doorstep -- but you're not exactly known for barbecue. Maple syrup, sure. Poutine, heck yeah. Whiskey, bring it on. Arcade Fire, I love every single one of you guys. And Jim Carrey, even though you haven't done much lately other than break up with Jenny McCarthy, your subtle yet unnervingly intense performance in the 2005 Oscar-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind stayed with me for weeks. I just don't picture you barbecuing.

The truth is that I got the Canadian cookbook free through work. And it turns out that its author, Ted Reader, sure as sticky fingers getting licked knows what he's talking about. This "King of the Q" taught us a rib method that's so delicious and foolproof, we should just pretend it's American.

Reader himself says, "I started out like many, boiling and steaming, but I was never satisfied with the results. I sensed the ultimate rib was still out there. Then I met a guy named..."

Blah Blah. (God, Canadians are so boring.) Anyway, what he's saying is that you should braise them! That means rubbing them with seasoning, putting them in a roasting pan in a 325 F oven, pouring some liquid over them, and cooking them covered for a couple of hours until the meat is as tender as an Alanis Morisette song.

And if it doesn't work out? Blame Canada.

SWEET & SPICY BRAISED SPARERIBS

Dara developed his own spice rub and braising liquid, and then used Ted Reader's recommended cooking method. For more great barbecuing tricks from our neighbor to the north, see Ted's King of the Q's Blue Plate BBQ: The Ultimate Guide to Grilling, Smoking, Dipping and Licking (Penguin Group, 2007).

Serves 8

4 to 5 pounds pork spareribs

1 recipe Rib Rub (see below)

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 bottle favorite pilsner

1 cup orange juice

Few dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste (we buy it in a tube)

Favorite bottled BBQ sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove the membrane (also called a silverskin) from the back of the rack of ribs by wedging a knife between the membrane and one of the rib bones and separate the two enough to stick your finger in the gap; then, gently loosen it and pull it off completely.

Rub ribs with rib rub. Place them in a roasting pan, meat side down and overlapping. Top with red onion. Whisk together pilsner, juice, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste in a medium bowl and pour over ribs. Cover with foil and braise about 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Serve with bottled BBQ sauce if desired.

For Rib Rub:

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 tablespoons mild paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons mustard powder

2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder (this is very spicy -- wash your hands after using it)

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Push the mixture through a metal sieve to get out the lumps, and store tightly covered until ready to use.