Oven-Barbecued Spareribs

This recipe proves that pork spareribs don’t necessarily have to be cooked on a grill over a wood or charcoal fire—a good thing to know when the weather bureau is predicting torrential rain and you’ve promised guests barbecued ribs. Alas, the ribs won’t have that inimitable smoky flavor of the grill, but this complex sauce almost makes up for the loss. Some cooks defat the ribs (and reduce the baking time) by parboiling instead of roasting them, a procedure that, in my opinion, robs them of