Barbecue Beef Ribs

Oh look, the vegetarian made ribs!

These are the long ribs, and they are really much more fat than beef. That didn't seem to bother Mr. ETB (also more fat than beef). As I'm currently overrun with tomatoes, I made my own sauce. That was a bit of work, but I'll post the recipe in case you feel ambitious.

For the sauce:

4 quarts tomatoes, cut into quarters and seeded
A splash of olive oil

Roast the tomatoes for 3 hours in a deep casserole in a 225 degree F. oven. Cool, Put through a food mill to remove skins. Remove liquid to a saucepan and boil gently until it is reduced to about 1/3. It should be thick like tomato sauce, but not as thick as paste from a tin.

Add to the reduced tomatoes:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 bay leaf
A generous grinding of black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried mustard
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

Stir together, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

For the ribs:

Dredge the ribs in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Pull off a hunk of fat from the underside of the ribs (there's plenty, trust me) and heat it in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When melted, brown the ribs. Remove from heat, add water to cover, and replace lid. Simmer slowly until tender-about 2 hours.

Remove ribs, and drain. Heat a broiler, and place on a rack over a broiling pan so that the ribs will be about 5 inches from the heat. Baste with barbecue sauce, and cook five minutes. Baste again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving.