BBQ Ribs

Ribs are among the most beloved of barbecued meats, and the most diverse. They can be wet (slathered with sauce), dry (packed with dry rub); they can be pork or beef (the latter huge, caveman-style) or even mutton; they might be slow-cooked in a classic barbecue pit or more quickly done over charcoal. They are impossible to eat with knife and fork, so even the neatest baby backs tend to be a finger-licking mess. How ribs are presented varies, either in on a tray or at one end of a large plate with room for side dishes. The old-style Chicago way is to serve them in large cardboard boats, ribs at the bottom. On top of the ribs come a mess of French fries, which by the time you open up the package have virtually meshed with the sauce to become a kind of starchy, greasy glaze. Atop the fries is a sheet of wax paper, and on top of that, clean, spongy white bread. You would not want this bread for any other meal; but as a salve between bouts with ribs that are glazed with four-alarm spicy-hot sauce (a Chicago specialty), bland bread is the right stuff.