Ribs

These are terrific as hors d'oeuvres at a cocktail party or on their own as a main course. Have your butcher cut the ribs into two-inch lengths, or you can do it yourself at home with a cleaver.

For the best results, these tender ribs need to marinate for at least 12 hours, so plan ahead. Offer a selection of bottled ales and lagers.

(Chipotle-Marinated Grilled Pork Ribs) The Caribe Indians on the island of Hispaniola taught the Spanish how to use green wood lattices to make barbacoa — or what we now know as barbecue. A staple of the islanders' diet was the wild hog. The locals called the animals boucan, and that French word eventually came to be applied to many of the wild seafaring island men: buccaneers. Barbecue has become one of the world's favorite foods; few culinary subjects stir such rabid debate, from Texas to Memphis to South Carolina and on down to the Caribbean and South America. Barbecue as we have come to love it — using marinades and/or sauces and carefully slow-cooking — was perfected in the Caribbean. But some food scholars theorize that barbecue may have originated by accident in China many centuries ago, when a devastating fire burned down a barn, and the pig farmers, who had previously never cooked meat in a fiery fashion, smelled solace in their loss and as a consequence ate well that night. No less an authority on food than Waverly Root stated that cooking in this fashion was "so natural under primitive circumstances that it would practically invent itself everywhere, especially in societies accustomed to living outdoors most of the time." If you aren't familiar with country ribs, this recipe will introduce you to the cut, also known as split blade chops. You'll love them for all manner of dishes calling for pork ribs, barbecued or otherwise. This is a very easy recipe, though you need to allow the ribs to marinate overnight.

From Lidia's in Kansas City, an informal company dish that's sure to satisfy.

I use spareribs, but you also can use baby back ribs. Just be aware that the racks are smaller (about 1 pound each) and the ribs have less meat.

Little spareribs with "oriental" glazes were quite popular in the fifties. The sweet lacquers were composed primarily of ketchup, soy sauce and ginger, and they were nice complements to the rich meat. Forty years of progress at the supermarket have given us access to many more Asian ingredients, not to mention a taste for zestier fare. The glazes today tend to be like this one-complexly flavored and definitely more authentic.

You just cannot do this one wrong. You don't have to drain the sauerkraut. You don't even brown the ribs; they brown without your help. The recipe was handed down to Camille MacKusick by her father-in-law, from the family archives. All sorts of magical juices ooze out of everything. When the last finger is licked and the last lip smacked, everyone will weep.

The slow-sipping, mellow character of bourbon has always suited my palate, in a glass and as an ingredient. Compared to the sophisticated, somewhat standoffish refinement of brandy, bourbon is sturdy and straightforward in the kitchen. Always searching for a way to use bourbon, I've discovered that its sweet, no-nonsense flavor is perfectly at home in this garlicky glaze where it adds depth and a sweet edge to the taste. The recipe makes enough glaze for two racks of spareribs, but it can be doubled if you need more. Serve with collard greens and baked sweet potatoes.

Try these with mashed potatoes.

Serve these sensational ribs with an avocado, citrus and red onion salad, some cold beer - and plenty of napkins.

Pork ribs become satays with built-in "skewers." Great as party appetizers, the ribs can be made a day ahead, then grilled or broiled just before you serve them.

At Clark's Outpost Barbecue in Tioga, Texas, Warren Clark uses St. Louis-style pork ribs (slabs of ribs that have been trimmed to uniform size) and prepares them in a smoker. To make this recipe easier, we call for the more readily available baby back ribs and suggest a combination of baking and grilling for equally delicious results.

Baby back ribs are less fatty than spareribs, and this marinade is flavorful without being a heavy barbecue sauce.

Before using the cherry cola, pour it into a bowl and allow it to stand at room temperature until no longer effervescent, about four hours. Start with a relish platter, then serve the spareribs with the State Fair Potato Salad and corn on the cob. What to drink: Tall glasses of iced tea or frosty mugs of lager.

It takes one to two days to marinate the meat for this recipe, but it's worth it. These will be some of the best ribs you'll ever eat.

In a Korean home or restaurant, grilled ribs (kalbi kui) would be accompanied by the spicy pickled cabbage called kimchi. It's available in the refrigerated foods section of some supermarkets and at Korean and Asian markets. For the ribs, have the butcher cut the flanken across the bones into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Begin marinating the ribs one day ahead. What to drink: Asian lager.

Add corn bread, a crunchy chicory salad, and peach pie for summer supper at its best.