This was my attempt to make ribs as good as the pre-prepared Lloyd’s ribs I was regularly buying at the grocery store at the time.

Marinade/Stock:

1 lb pork pork belly (uncured, meaty as possible), cut into two inch long pieces

1 1/2 onion, chopped

8 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife (skins on is okay)

1 leek

cayenne pepper, a few shakes

salt

Liberally salt water in a stock pot. Add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least four hours, adding more water when necessary. The idea is to leach all of the flavor out of the pork. When it’s done strain it and let cool.

Precooking the ribs:

1 rack of pork spare ribs, folded in three parts so that the rack has the shape of a roast

Marinade/stock prepared above

1 lb pork pork belly cut in strips like bacon (uncured, fatty) (This is the cut that bacon is made from)

Place the ribs in a baking dish over three strips of pork belly. Lay three more strips of pork belly on the top of the ribs. Bake in an oven at about 170 °F for four to seven hours. Initially baste with some of the marinade/stock. Baste in the pan juices once the fat starts to render. The idea is to slowly cook and tenderize the pork so that it is just medium done — without drying it out. If you get it right the center of the pork will be barely pink when you slice it.

Marinade:

Marinade the rack of pork spare ribs in the marinade/stock overnight, turning at least once. Save the marinade for the sauce.

Barbecue Sauce:

Mix one part marinade with two to three parts Bullseye barbecue sauce. Mix plenty of sauce. You want to have enough to drown the ribs.

The ribs:

Cut the rack of ribs into three pieces so that they will easily fit onto the grill.

Barbecue meaty side down for about four minutes.

Flip the ribs over so that the meaty side is up.

Liberally apply the sauce to the ribs, taking care to pool it on the ribs and not let it drip onto the coals where it might kill the fire.

Barbecue meaty side up for about four minutes.

Flip the ribs over so that the meaty side is down.

Liberally apply the sauce.

Barbecue about two to three minutes. Let the meaty side with the barbecue sauce applied char a little but not too much.

Flip the ribs over so that the meaty side is up.

Liberally apply the sauce.

Barbecue two to three minutes.

Serving:

Serve each part of a rack with a liberal amount of barbecue sauce on the side.

Make sure to include plenty of napkins and a wetted washcloth. If you don’t get your hands covered in barbecue sauce you’re not doing it right.