4 pounds spareribs, in 4 pieces, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 pound can tomatoes, drained
and coarsely chopped with the liquid reserved
1 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup fresh hot red chilies including the seeds
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1-1 /2 teaspoons salt
Directions
Prepare the red sauce as follows: In a heavy lO to 12
inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat
Add the onions and garlic while stirring frequently and
cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft and
translucent but not brown
Coarsely chop the chilies
Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, the tomato puree,
chilies, mustard, sugar, vinegar and salt, and bring to a
boil over high heat
Cook briskly, uncovered, until the
sauce is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in
the spoon
Remove the pan from the heat and taste the
red sauce for seasoning
Set it aside.
For barbecuing the ribs, light a 2-inch-thick layer of
charcoal briquettes in a charcoal grill equipped with a
rotating spit
Let the coals burn until you have a low
temperature, direct heat fire as described at the begin-
ning of this chapter.
Thread the spareribs on the spit, running the spit
through the meat over and under alternate pairs of ribs
Then secure them at both ends with the sliding prongs
Fit the spit into place about 6 inches above the surface
of the coals and barbecue the ribs for 45 minutes, or
until they are lightly and evenly browned
Watch care-
fully for any sign of burning and regulate the height of
the spit accordingly.
With a pastry brush, spread the red sauce evenly on
both sides of the spareribs
Basting the ribs every 5
minutes or so, continue to barbecue them for about 30
minutes longer, or until they are richly colored and
glazed with sauce.
To serve, remove the spit from the grill, unscrew the
prongs and slide the spareribs off the spit onto a heated
platter
Before serving, insert skewers into each section
of ribs if you like.
