Barbecued Pork Ribs

6 lbs. thick-cut pork country ribs or back ribs, in slabs

Basting sauce:

1/2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

4 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1 t. garlic powder

2 t. Texas chili powder

1 1/2 t. paprika

1 t. Louisiana-style hot sauce

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 C. beef stock

1/2 C. butter

1/4 C. vegetable oil

Using a covered grill, prepare fire for indirect cooking, using mesquite charcoal briquettes or regular briquettes with mesquite chips. Let fire burn down to glowing white coals (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

When charcoal is ready, push briquettes to edges of the grill. Place a flameproof container filled with hot water in center of coals. Mop bony side of pork slabs with basting sauce; place ribs, basted side down, about 8 inches above the hot water in the center of the grill. Moisten the upper side of ribs with sauce. Cover and allow ribs to cook slowly for about 2½ hours, basting every 15 minutes. Leave bony side down until last few minutes of cooking. If rack is closer than 8 inches to the coals, decrease cooking time to about 1 hour. Add a few fresh briquettes to the fire every 30 minutes. If using a grill with perforations in one side of the lid, rotate perforations every 15 minutes to maintain air supply and keep charcoal from going out.

While ribs cook, prepare barbecue sauce by melting the butter with the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, raise heat and boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

When pork is nearly cooked, turn meaty side down and brown meat well. To serve, cut pork slabs into serving portions; cover with barbecue sauce.

Servings: 6 to 8.