Sweet and Sour Spareribs

April. Real spring. Hyacinths blooming. Robins constant. I drove a Kansas City run Tuesday-Wednesday. Came home with a bag of Joe's barbecue for the house. Dave ate an entire half-rack of ribs without stopping to breathe. He said, "These were a solid trip." I said, "Yes, honey."

Book two at 38,000 words. I finished the Karen Dahl profile — the widowed Michigan driver who lives in her truck. It is the hardest profile. It is also the most honest. Sarah wept. Sarah almost never cries at work. She called me after she read it and told me she had wept. I said, "I wept writing it." She said, "Good." She said, "This one is going to matter, Brenda." I said, "All of them are going to matter." She said, "I know."

Gayle had a good week. She planted three small pots of herbs on the sunroom windowsill — basil, parsley, chives. "If I cannot have a garden, I will have a windowsill." She tended them with a tiny watering can. They are doing well.

Easter is in two weeks. Gayle and I are planning the meal. She insists on ham. She insists on her rolls (which we will make together, her sitting at the table, me at the counter, the way we did at her house for forty years). Amber is bringing Eli. Steve and Louise are coming. Hannah, Mark, and Ella (now five) are coming. Fourteen at the table. Full house. Amber is sleeping in her old room. Gayle stays in the guest room. Eli is on the couch (Dave's very clear rule). Tyler and Justin share a room for the night to free up space. Josie is in her room. It will be a squeeze. It will be right.

Made homemade pasta Sunday with Gayle. She sat at the table and ran the pasta maker. I kneaded dough. Amber boiled water. Three women, three generations, three pairs of hands. We had spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner. Dave said, "This is the best spaghetti I have had in my life." I have never made pasta before. Gayle said, "See what you can do with a little effort, Brenda." I laughed. Gayle is roasting me at my own table in my own kitchen. I love it.

Dave polished off that half-rack of Joe’s barbecue without coming up for air, and honestly, I took that as a challenge. We had fourteen people coming for Easter, a full house of people I love, and I wanted something that felt like that Kansas City trip — low and slow and worth every minute of patience. Sweet and sour spareribs were the answer: sticky, tender, deeply savory, and the kind of thing that makes a crowded table go quiet in the best possible way.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork spareribs, cut into individual ribs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup water

Instructions

Season the ribs. Pat the spareribs dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Brown the ribs. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Make the sauce. In the same pot, whisk together the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, onion powder, red pepper flakes (if using), and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth.
Braise the ribs. Return the browned ribs to the pot, turning to coat them in the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning the ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and nearly falling off the bone.
Reduce the sauce. Remove the ribs from the pot and increase heat to medium-high. Let the sauce simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens and becomes glossy.
Glaze and serve. Return the ribs to the pot and toss to coat in the reduced glaze, or brush the glaze generously over the ribs before serving. Serve hot with your choice of sides.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet and Sour Spareribs — When Kansas City Comes Home to the Table