I have found there is not much flavor advantage to long marination times. It's better to tune up the barbecue sauce so that it flavors the meat effectively as it cooks. It also helps to remove the tough membrane along the back of the ribs. Smoking the ribs perfects the flavor, but they're also excellent baked for 1 hour in a 350-degree oven, turned once midway and brushed with sauce.

Combine garlic, honey, mustard, ketchup, soy, Worcestershire, fish sauce and pepper sauce in bowl. (Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.) Use sharp-pointed knife to loosen tough white , membrane along bone at one end. Use paper towels to grip loosened membrane and pull it off. Or ask your butcher to do this for you. Refrigerate ribs until ready to cook. Prepare charcoal or wood fire. Soak wood chips in water 30 minutes. When coals are ash-covered, drain wood chips and place on square piece of foil directly on coals. When chips begin to smoke, brush rack with oil. Brush ribs with barbecue sauce. Place ribs on rack in single layer, rounded side down. Close barbecue. Cook 45 to 60 minutes, until meat begins to pull away from ends of ribs. Use tongs to turn ribs midway during cooking. Brush with more barbecue sauce at this point, also just before removing from barbecue. Serve hot.

Per serving: 868 cal.; 44 g pro.; 29 g carb; 60 g fat; 199 mg chol.; 1, 226 mg sod.

Haley@Ns.Net (Rusty Haley)