| 1 | Braising sauce: preheat oven to 350°F. |
| 2 | Mix onions, carrots, celery, garlic and tomato paste together and then place in a roasting pan large enough to comfortably hold the ribs in a single layer. |
| 3 | Lay the ribs on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. |
| 4 | Add stock, bay leaves and thyme. |
| 5 | Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour. |
| 6 | Remove from oven, remove the ribs and set aside to cool. |
| 7 | Strain the braising liquid and discard the vegetables. |
| 8 | To freeze ribs: pour the liquid into a small freezer container and place in refrigerator to cool for 1 hour. |
| 9 | When cool, remove and discard any fat that has congealed on the surface of the liquid. |
| 10 | Cover tightly and place in freezer for up to 3 months. |
| 11 | Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and then place in airtight plastic freezer bags or containers. |
| 12 | You may freeze meat for up to 3 months, also. |
| 13 | Barbecue ribs: to barbecue the ribs: preheat oven to 375f or light a charcoal grill. |
| 14 | Defrost the braising liquid. |
| 15 | Defrost the ribs or not; it"s not important. |
| 16 | Combine the sugar and vinegar in a 1-quart pot and place over medium heat on top of the stove. |
| 17 | Cook until the vinegar reduces and forms a syrup with the sugar, about 8 minutes. |
| 18 | Watch carefully as the syrup will suddenly darken in color. |
| 19 | Immediately add the rib braising liquid, then the catsup, mustard, worcestershire, cloves, chili powder and cayenne pepper. |
| 20 | Cook, reducing the liquid until it has a thick sauce-like consistency. |
| 21 | Remove from the heat and set aside. |
| 22 | To cook ribs in the oven, place ribs in a roasting pan, cover, place in oven and turn temperature to 350°F. |
| 23 | Cook for 30 minutes, basting with more barbecue sauce every 10 minutes. |
| 24 | To cook on the grill, wait until the coals become white hot and pile them on one side of the grill. |
| 25 | Place the ribs on the grill so they are not directly over the coals and cover the grill so that smoke collects inside. |
| 26 | If your grill does not have a cover, improvise one out of aluminum foil. |
| 27 | Cook for 30 minutes, basting with more barbecue sauce every 10 minutes. |
| 28 | When ribs are well heated, remove to a platter and serve. |
| 29 | Offer any additional barbecue sauce on the side |
