Ribs

Method: Direct grilling
Advance Prep: At least 1 hour for marinating the ribs Meaty beef ribs, sweet with sugar, salty with soy and oyster sauce, pungent with that trinity of Asian flavorings (ginger, garlic, and scallions) and crustily charred on the grill — if this is your idea of paradise, heaven lies in China, where individual beef short ribs are sawed crosswise into smaller pieces and flash charred on the grill. Perfect for the Type A grill jockey, who lacks the patience for low, slow traditional smoking.

Years ago, in one of his famous cooking classes, James Beard showed us this simple, "can't fail" method for roasting spareribs. He predicted that this recipe would become an all-time favorite, and he was right. These ribs have the rich flavor of pork, which you can really taste, and they are also very tender and moist. Who needs all that BBQ sauce? If you can, get baby back ribs — they're best — but any pork spareribs will do.

A slightly sweet tomato sauce blankets these tender baby back ribs.

Be sure to remove (or score) the membrane on the underside of the ribs so that the seasonings can penetrate and fully flavor the meat. Even better, ask the butcher to remove the membrane. What to drink: Kenwood Vineyards 2003 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($17).

Joan and David Oswalt of Pasadena, California, write: "David and I both love to cook, but our approaches couldn't be more different. He'll start from scratch and spend months perfecting a particular dish, while I prefer to take a basic recipe and just add my own touches."

A long, slow braise is the secret to tender meat that falls off the bone.

Look for meaty ribs that aren't over-trimmed; the bones on top shouldn't show through. This recipe doubles or triples easily.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Begin preparing the ribs one day ahead so that they can marinate overnight.

If you prefer to grill the ribs — which will intensify the hoisin flavor — remove them from the marinade (do not bake) and grill them over medium heat until tender and lightly charred, turning often and basting occasionally with marinade, about 25 minutes. Look for chili-garlic sauce in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.

Hoisin sauce is sold at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

Steve Katz of Potomac, Maryland, writes: "I would like to share a recipe for the most finger-licking baby back ribs you'll ever cook on your stovetop. The secret ingredient is Lapsang souchong tea, used in the braising liquid to give the ribs a smoky flavor. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Debra L. Warren of Lake Forest, Illinois, writes: "I have often indulged in Jay Lovell's phenomenal cuisine at his Lovell's of Lake Forest restaurant, and the ribs he prepared for an event I attended were out of this world. Could you possibly persuade the chef to share the recipe?" The espresso powder gives the sauce great depth of flavor.

Chefs know this secret: Short ribs are long on flavor. Their rich, meaty taste makes them a perfect choice for cooks who want full-bodied food with very little fuss. This dish was inspired by a recipe in Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook. The chef begins by reducing a great deal of red wine. We adopted his technique, which produces such a rich and delicious sauce, it tastes as if many days—and ingredients—were required to produce it. Like many people, we love to serve short ribs with a comforting side dish of mashed or roasted potatoes. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 hr

This is a simplified version of Havana Harry's recipe; at the restaurant, they deep-fry the pork after braising it.

Wuxi, just two hours outside of Shanghai and often referred to as Little Shanghai, is a bustling city known for its silk. It was once called Youxi, meaning "has tin," but the tin reserves were depleted during the Han dynasty, and so Wuxi, which translates as "without tin," became its new name. These spareribs are one of the city's signature dishes.