INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:

• 2 ½ cups orange juice
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

• 24 country spare ribs, about 6 pounds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put orange juice and molasses in a very large bowl and whisk with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended.  Whisk in salt, Tabasco, cumin, and allspice.  Stir well.

2. Add ribs and toss them in the marinade until coated.  Cover and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.  Remove ribs from marinade.

3. If using oven:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place ribs on 2 large rimmed baking sheets about 1 inch apart.  Cover baking sheets with foil.  Bake 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, put marinade in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium.  Cook until marinade is reduced to 1 ½ cups and is thick and syrupy.

3. After 1 hour, remove ribs from oven.  Carefully pour off liquid from pans.  Using a pastry brush, thickly coat ribs with reduced marinade.  Return ribs to the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer until ribs are glazed.

If using barbecue grill:

1. Prepare grill for cooking.  Put marinade in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium.  Cook until marinade is reduced to 1 ½ cups and is thick and syrupy.  If using a gas grill, begin cooking over very low heat.  If using charcoal, heap the coals on the cooler side, and put the ribs on the cooler side, and put the cover on (the vent hole should be over the ribs).  Cook slowly, basting occasionally, for an hour or more, until tender.  Then baste the ribs a final time and either raise the heat on a gas grill or move the ribs over the hot coals.  Cook, turning, until crisp.

SERVES 8