GMA Recipe: Sylvia's World-Famous Talked-About Spareribs

Click here for
Recent Recipes
(presented in the past few months)

The following are recipes categorized from the archives of recipes broadcast on Good Morning America.

Appetizers

Breakfast

Beverages

Breads
Desserts

Cakes

Cookies

Pies

Other Desserts

Fish

Low Fat/Low Carb

Holidays

Meat

Pasta

Poultry

Quick Recipes

Sandwiches

Salads

Side Dishes

Soups

Vegetables

Sylvia's World-Famous Talked-About Spareribs
From Sylvia Woods
1993

These are the real thing. People come from around the corner, around the city, and around the world to eat these ribs at Sylvia's. The secret? Tangy, not too sweet barbecue sauce and a special way of preparing the ribs that's described here.

Ingredients

2 slabs pork spareribs (about 3 1/2 lbs. total)

1 1/2 tsps. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 to 3 c. white wine vinegar

Barbecue Sauce:

16 oz. Red Devil Hot Sauce

2 1/2 tsps. crushed red pepper flakes

1 small onion, sliced

1 small stalk celery, sliced

3 c. tomato puree

1 1/2 c. water

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 lemon, slices

Directions

To make the ribs easier to handle, cut each slab between the middle bones into 2 equal piece. Rub the salt, black pepper, and red pepper into both sides of the ribs.

Place the ribs in a deep baking dish, cover them, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the vinegar over the ribs and bake 1 1/2 hours. Rotate the ribs two or three times during baking and spoon some of the pan juices over them.

Remove the ribs from the baking dish and place in a single layer on baking sheets. (Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.) Bake at 450 degrees for 1 hour. The ribs should be tender and well browned. This much can be done up to a day in advance.

Cool the ribs, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for about 1 hour before continuing.

To finish the ribs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the slabs between the bones into individual ribs. Place the ribs in a baking dish large enough to hold them comfortably. Spoon enough of the barbecue sauce over them to coat lightly. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Make 8 servings.

Barbecue Sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a heavy pot and heat just until hot. Don't bring to a boil or the sauce will turn dark and become thin.

Cool the sauce to room temperature, strain, and store in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.

Makes about 5 cups.

From Sylvia's Soul Food: Recipes From Harlem's World-Famous Restaurant by Sylvia Woods and Christopher Styler (Copyright 1992 by Hearst Books).