Beef Ribs Taste Grilled Without Barbequeing

In some parts of the country, cooks never put their grills away. But for us Midwesterners, outdoor grilling before Easter seems as unnatural as Christmas decorations on a palm tree.

Sure, we still crave the crackling of the charcoal. So we devise ways to recreate those smoky flavors indoors.

Of all the foods available, ribs can best approximate the outdoor grilled version. The fat dripping off the meat has a very familiar, smoky aroma.

First, bake the ribs for an hour or more until just fork-tender. Then slather on some basting sauce. It will bubble and blend with the meat in a delightful taste reminiscent of July barbecues.

To further enhance the warmweather appeal of this dish, make the basting sauce a tropical blend of mango, ginger and lime juice. And, since we can never do enough to create a balmy mood, Sunshine Carrots, which gets its title from the golden appearance, makes a natural accompaniment.

Barbecued Beef Ribs With Mango Basting Sauce

The sauce without the chile is mild; with the chile it is sweet-hot.

2 pounds 5-inch-long beef ribs (about 8)

1 teaspoon oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 medium jalapeno chile, seeded and minced, optional

1 medium-ripe mango (see note), peeled and pitted

6 tablespoons tomato ketchup

3 tablespoons lime juice

4 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Salt, pepper

Place ribs on foil-covered rack of roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare basting sauce. Heat oil in small pan. Add ginger root, garlic and chile. Saute 1 to 2 minutes. Puree mango pulp in food processor or blender. Add to pan along with ketchup, lime juice, honey and hot pepper sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If mixture is lumpy, return to blender and puree.

When ribs have cooked 1 hour, brush generously with sauce. Bake 15 minutes. Baste with sauce and bake 15 minutes more. Baste with sauce again. Increase heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer. Slice into individual ribs and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.

Note: If mango isn’t ripe and sweettasting, don’t use it in this recipe. If available, substitute two peaches or nectarines.

Sunshine Carrots

2 cups baby-cut carrots

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices ginger root

Salt, pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine carrots and water in small pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until carrots are just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove cover and cook over high heat until 1 tablespoon liquid remains.

Add butter, honey, orange juice and ginger root. Cook over medium heat to a thick glaze, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard ginger root. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cinnamon and lemon juice. Simmer 1 minute longer. Serve hot.

Yield: 2 servings.

MEMO: Bev Bennett is food editor of the Chicago Sun-Times and author of four cookbooks.