½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
¼ cup grainy mustard
1 or 2 teaspoons Tabasco (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup water
Preheat the oven to 250°F and place each rack of ribs on a square
of aluminum foil. Sprinkle the ribs generously with salt, add a few
sprigs of thyme to each, and then wrap well. Place the rib packets
on a cookie sheet and bake for 3 to 4 hours, until the ribs are
extremely tender. Allow the ribs to cool slightly in their packets
before opening.
To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a large pot
on medium-low heat. Allow to simmer, stirring every so often, for
a few hours, until the sauce is nice and thick*. Set aside.
To bring the ribs and glaze together, do the following. Turn on
the broiler (if you don’t have a broiler, get the oven up to 450°F).
Cut the rib racks into individual ribs, place them on a foil-lined
cookie sheet or broiler tray, and brush them aggressively with the
glaze. Pop them under the broiler and watch them carefully: all
that sugar makes them burn very easily! You want the glaze to
fuse with the ribs; it takes 3 to 4 minutes. If you’re cooking the
ribs in the oven, do so just until the glaze begins to bubble, 4 to 5
minutes. Serve the ribs hot with lots of napkins—trust me, you’ll
need them.