Baby Back Ribs From the Oven

Sauce can be prepared several days in advance.

Warm butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion. Saute until tender, but NOT brown. Stir in garlic. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 45 minutes or until sauce is thickened. *

Ribs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut ribs into individual serving pieces. Toss with vinegar and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place in foil and wrap tightly. Place on a rack in a roasting pan; fill bottom of roasting pan with water up to 1/2 inch deep. Cover roaster and place it in preheated oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Add water as needed to the bottom of the roaster. Keep 1/2-inch deep. Remove roaster from oven. Drain off water. Unwrap ribs and place them in the bottom of the roaster. Pour sauce over ribs. Cover roaster, return to oven and bake 25-35 minutes more, or until the ribs are tender and darkening around the edges, but not burned. Remove from oven and serve.

Serve with Louisiana hot sauce on table to add to individual taste.

Cook's Notes: If you are short on time, you can thicken the sauce with a bit more butter or add 1 Tbsp. corn starch dissolved in a little water and stirred in briskly until thickened over medium-low heat. This works with spaghetti sauce also.