Barbecued Orange-Maple Country Ribs

From Art Smith's KITCHEN LIFE. Here is a recipe that makes a lot for the bonus of extra meals. Country pork ribs have a lot of meat, all the better to cut off and turn into sandwiches for a lunch or supper entree. You can certainly use this sweet and spicy marinade/sauce for spareribs or baby back ribs, which are deliciously succulent if a little less meaty. And for the final glazing, if you have a hankering for a smoky flavor, set the gas grill to medium. Add hickory chips to get a good head of smoke and grill the ribs, brushing with the sauce, for about 10 minutes.

Zest of 2 large oranges
1 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup maple-flavored pancake syrup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste with garlic
7 pounds country pork ribs (I like boneless)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup catsup
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in
2 tablespoons water

Mix the orange zest and juice, pancake syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and chili paste in a large bowl. Divide the ribs between two l-gallon zippered plastic bags. Pour half of the marinade into each bag and close. Marinate the ribs in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the ribs from the marinade and arrange in a roasting pan large enough to hold them without crowding (you can divide them between two pans if you wish). Reserve the marinade. Lightly season the ribs with salt and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake the ribs for 1 1/4 hours. Remove the foil and turn the ribs. Continue baking until the ribs are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, combine the reserved marinade and catsup in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat until the marinade is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir the dissolved cornstarch into the marinade to thicken it and turn it into a glaze for the ribs. Set the glaze aside.

When the ribs are tender, increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Brush the ribs generously with the glaze. Bake until the glaze on the ribs bubbles, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS