Faith and Brian's Barbecue Sauce for Spareribs

I got this recipe from Davina Stone, a friend of mine from Angelica, NY. I don't know where she got the recipe. She used this to grill chicken, but it is also good on ribs.

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup honey, fruit jam, or brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash tabasco sauce
1 T. chili powder
1 T. dry mustard
2 whole bay leaf
1 small dried hot pepper, minced (or red pepper flakes)
2 T. parsley
1 T. basil
1 tsp. cumin
Water

In a large saucepan, fry the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion begins to appear translucent.

Add the ketchup, honey (or jam or brown sugar), the vinegar, and enough water to thin the sauce down a bit. You want to cook the sauce after it is seasoned to meld the flavors and some of this water will cook off. Taste the sauce and add more honey or vinegar if needed. It should have a sweet-sour taste, but not too sweet.

Then season the sauce with the rest of the ingredients, adjusting the amounts to your taste. Be careful adding more hot pepper. Wait until the sauce has cooked a bit and drawn out the pepper's heat before adding more.

Simmer the sauce for 1/2 to 1 hour, adding more water if necessary. The sauce should have the consistency of ketchup. If you prefer a smoother sauce, once the sauce has cooled a bit, remove the bay leaves and puree in a blender.

Once cool, add your spareribs. Let marinate for a few hours or overnight before grilling. Grill over low coals, basting often with more sauce. You want to grill ribs slow and long, so that they are browned on the outside and tender on the inside. They are done when the meat starts to shrink from the end of the bone and they reach an internal temperature of 165° F.

This recipe makes enough sauce for a good size rack of ribs.