Ladle the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Place it over the highest heat and boil it hard for 5 to 7 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Add some guar or xanthan to thicken the sauce a little. (You want it to be about the texture of half-and-half, not a thick gravy.) Serve the sauce over the pork and vegetables.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 41 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Easy Pork Roast This is basic, which is a strength, not a weakness. It would be a great supper with a big salad.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) boneless pork loin 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) tomato sauce cup (60 ml) soy sauce cup (120 ml) chicken broth cup (12 g) Splenda 2 teaspoons dry mustard Guar or xanthan (optional) In a big, heavy skillet, brown the pork on all sides in the oil. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, soy sauce, broth, Splenda, and dry mustard. Pour the mixture over the pork. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 9 hours.

When the time's up, remove the pork to a serving platter. Thicken the pot liquid, if needed, with guar or xanthan. Serve the juice with the pork.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 37 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g usable Pork Roast with Apricot Sauce Here's a fabulous Sunday dinner for the family- with very little work.

2 pounds (1.1 kg) boneless pork loin 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil [image]cup (55 g) chopped onion cup (180 ml) chicken broth cup (80 g) low-sugar apricot preserves 1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda Guar or xanthan In a big, heavy skillet, sear the pork all over in the oil. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker. Scatter the onion around it.

In a bowl, mix together the broth, preserves, vinegar, lemon juice, and Splenda. Pour the mixture over the pork. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 hours.

When the time's up, remove the pork and put it on a serving platter. Season the juices with salt and pepper to taste. Thicken the juices with guar or xanthan. Ladle the juices into a sauce boat to serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 40 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 5 g usable carbs.

Pork Roast with Creamy Mushroom Gravy and Vegetables Here's a great down-home dinner the family will love!

2 pounds (1.1 kg) boneless pork loin cup (60 g) sliced carrots 4 ounces (115 g) sliced mushrooms 10 ounces (280 g) frozen cross-cut green beans, unthawed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) beef bouillon concentrate 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) tomatoes with roasted garlic Guar or xanthan cup (120 ml) heavy cream Put the pork in the bottom of a slow cooker. Surround the pork with the carrots, mushrooms, and green beans. (Don't bother thawing the green beans, just whack the package hard on the counter before opening that so the beans are all separated.) In a bowl, dissolve the bouillon in the water. Stir in the tomatoes. Pour the mixture over the pork and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 9 hours.

When the time's up, remove the pork and vegetables to a platter. Thicken the juices in the pot with guar or xanthan and then whisk in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the juices with the pork and vegetables.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 23 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g usable carbs.

Pork with Cabbage Need I point out that this recipe is for cabbage lovers?

4 pounds (1.8 kg) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 stalks celery, cut -inch (1.3-cm) thick 1 envelope (1 ounce, or 28 g) onion soup mix 1 cups (360 ml) water 1 pounds (680 g) cabbage, coa.r.s.ely Guar or xanthan In a big, heavy skillet, start browning the pork in the oil.

Place the carrots, garlic, and celery in a slow cooker. Add the soup mix and water.

When the pork is brown all over, put it on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 hours.

When the time's up, stir in the cabbage, pushing it down into the liquid. Re-cover the slow cooker and let it cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the pork and put it on a platter. Use a slotted spoon to pile the vegetables around the pork. Thicken the liquid in the slow cooker with guar or xanthan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the liquid into a sauce boat and serve with the pork and vegetables.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 31 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 7 g usable carbs.

Pork with Rutabaga If you haven't tried rutabaga, you simply must. Also sometimes called a "swede" or a "yellow turnip," rutabaga is similar to a turnip, except that it has an entrancing bitter-sweet flavor. Anyway, it's fun confusing grocery store checkout clerks who can't figure out what that big yellow root is! It's actually delicious to make this with half rutabaga and half a fresh, cubed pumpkin, but it's just not possible to find fresh pumpkin some seasons of the year.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder roast, tied or netted 2 pounds (1.1 kg) rutabaga, peeled and cubed teaspoon blackstrap mola.s.ses cup (12 g) Splenda teaspoon cayenne 1 clove garlic, minced Put the rutabaga in the bottom of a slow cooker. Put the pork on top. Drizzle the mola.s.ses over the pork and rutabaga.

In a bowl, mix together the Splenda, cayenne, and garlic. Sprinkle the mixture over the pork and rutabaga. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 9 When the time's up, remove the pork from the slow cooker, cut off the string or net, and slice or pull the pork apart. Serve the pork over the rutabaga with the pot liquid.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 32 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 11 g usable carbs.

Pork Stew This winter-night supper is not only low-carb, but it's quite low-calorie, too. Pork loin is a very lean meat.

2 pounds (1.8 kg) boneless pork loin, cut in 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter 1 medium onion, sliced -inch (6 mm) thick 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup (130 g) sliced carrot 8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms 2 cans (14-ounce, or 400 ml) chicken broth 1 pinch ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper Guar or xanthan Heat the olive oil and the b.u.t.ter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the carrot and the next 6 ingredients (through pepper) and stir to combine. Cover, turn the heat to low, and let the whole thing simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Thicken the gravy with guar or xanthan and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 30 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 6 g usable carbs.

Curried Pork Stew This is not terribly authentic, but it's awfully good. Try one of the chutneys (pages 495496) with this.

1 pound (455 g) boneless pork loin, cubed teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons (12 g) curry powder, divided 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 onion, sliced 2 small turnips, cubed 1 cup (240 ml) canned diced tomatoes cup (120 ml) cider vinegar 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda 2 cups (300 g) diced cauliflower Season the pork with the salt and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon (6 g) of the curry powder. In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil and brown the pork over medium-high heat.

Place the onion and turnips in a slow cooker. Top with the pork and tomatoes.

In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, Splenda, and the remaining 1 tablespoon (6 g) curry powder. Pour the mixture over the pork. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 7 hours.

When the time's up, stir in the cauliflower. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook for 1 more hour or until the cauliflower is Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 17 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs. a.n.a.lysis does not include chutney.

Pork and "Apple" Stew The apple flavor here comes from the apple cider vinegar. Our tester, Maria, cut her turnips into apple-slice shapes, and her family thought they were apples! They loved the whole thing.

2 pounds (910 g) pork loin, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes 2 medium turnips, cubed 2 medium carrots, cut inch (1.3 cm) thick 1 medium onion, sliced cup (60 g) sliced celery 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate 1 teaspoon caraway seeds teaspoon pepper Combine the pork, turnips, carrots, onion, and celery in a slow cooker.

In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, Splenda, broth, and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the pork and vegetables. Add the caraway seeds and pepper and stir everything. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 hours.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 34 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 8 g usable carbs.

Easy Southwestern Pork Stew Our tester gave this a "10"-and so did her family!

2 pounds (910 g) boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes 1 medium onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons ground c.u.min 1 tablespoon (5.4 g) dried oregano teaspoon salt 1 can (15 ounces, or 425 g) black soybeans 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) tomatoes with green chiles 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon concentrate Put the onion and garlic in a slow cooker and place the pork on top.

In a bowl, stir together the c.u.min, oregano, salt, soybeans, tomatoes, broth, and bouillon. Pour the mixture over the pork and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 8 to 9 hours.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 34 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 5 g usable Cocido de Puerco This Mexican-style pork stew is simply marvelous. Do use bony cuts of meat because they're more flavorful-and cheaper, too.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) bony cuts of pork (Meaty pork neck bones are ideal.) 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 large onion, sliced 1 large green pepper, diced 2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons c.u.min 2 teaspoons dried oregano teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, sear the pork bones in the oil until they're brown all over.

Turn the heat to low and add the garlic, onion, pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, c.u.min, oregano, and pepper flakes. Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 1 hour.

Yield: About 6 servings, depending on how meaty your bones are About 6 servings, depending on how meaty your bones are Each with 13 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 9 grams of usable carbs and about 35 grams of protein.

Pork Chili The pumpkin seed meal used to thicken this chili is an authentically Mexican touch.

1 pounds (680 g) boneless pork loin, cut in -inch (1.3-cm) cubes cup (120 g) chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground c.u.min 1 green pepper, chopped 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth cup (60 g) picante sauce 3 chipotle chiles canned in adobo, minced 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the chili can cup (60 g) pumpkin seed meal (Grind raw sh.e.l.led pumpkin seeds in a food processor.) Salt to taste In a big heavy skillet or Dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent.

Add everything else except the ground pumpkin seeds and the salt, turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the whole thing simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Now stir in the pumpkin seed meal and let it simmer another 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings a.s.suming 4, each will have 34 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 8 g usable Pork Slow Cooker Chili Try this when you want to have people over after the kids' soccer game!

2 pounds (1.1 kg) boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) tomatoes with green chiles cup (40 g) chopped onion cup (30 g) diced green bell pepper 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon (7.8 g) chili powder In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil and brown the pork all over. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, and chili powder. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve this with sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, if you like, but it's darned good as-is.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 25 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g usable carbs.

Apple Cheddar Pork Burgers What can I say? I think apples and pork are a terrific combination.

1 pound (455 g) boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch (4 cm) cubes Granny Smith or other crisp, tart apple, cut into a few chunks (no need to peel it) medium onion, peeled and cut into a couple of chunks 2 tablespoons (13 g) oat bran 1 egg teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish 2 ounces (56 g) cheddar cheese, shredded Preheat an electric tabletop grill.

Put the apple, onion, pork, oat bran, egg, salt, and horseradish in a food processor and pulse until the meat is ground and everything is well blended. Add the cheese and pulse just long enough to blend it in-you're trying to keep some actual shreds of cheese in the mixture.

Form into 4 burgers and slap them on the grill. Cook for 7 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 25 grams of protein.

Ham and Pork Burgers These are sort of plain and simple, but my husband loves them. This is a good recipe to help you use up leftover ham, should you have any on hand-but of course, you can also buy a chunk of precooked ham at the grocery pound (340 g) boneless pork loin, cut into chunks pound (225 g) cooked ham, cut into chunks 2 tablespoons (13 g) oat bran 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream 1 egg teaspoon pepper Preheat an electric tabletop grill.

Plunk the ham, pork loin, oat bran, cream, egg, and pepper in a food processor with the S-blade in place and pulse until the meat is finely ground. Form into 4 burgers and put them in the grill. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes and serve.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with no more than 5 grams of carbohydrates (less, if you use really low-carb ham) and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of no more than 4 grams of usable carbs and 28 grams of protein.

Thai Burgers Boy, are these good! If you can't find fish sauce, you can subst.i.tute soy sauce, and this will still taste fine.

1 pounds (680 g) boneless pork loin, cut into chunks 1 teaspoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon (16.5 ml) chili garlic paste 1 clove garlic or teaspoon minced garlic 4 scallions, with the roots and the tops cut off (Leave the crisp part of the green!) 1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) mushrooms, drained 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce 2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice cup (115 g) mayonnaise Preheat an electric tabletop grill.

Put the pork loin, lemon juice, chili garlic paste, garlic, scallions, mushrooms, fish sauce, and cilantro in a food processor with the S-blade in place. Pulse until the meat is finely ground and everything is well combined. Form the mixture into 6 burgers and put them on the grill. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes.

While the burgers are cooking, stir the lime juice (bottled works fine) into the mayonnaise. When the burgers are done, top each one with a dollop of the lime mayonnaise and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 24 grams of protein.

Luau Burgers Again, all those ingredients make this look intimidating, but it's really just a matter of a.s.sembling everything in the food processor and chopping it together.

1 pound (455 g) boneless pork loin medium onion, cut into chunks green pepper, cut into chunks 1 teaspoons grated ginger teaspoon minced garlic or 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce 1 egg cup (20 g) crushed pork rinds, plain or barbeque flavor teaspoon pepper teaspoon salt cup (50 g) canned crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato sauce teaspoon blackstrap mola.s.ses teaspoon Splenda teaspoon spicy brown mustard Preheat an electric tabletop grill.

Place the pork, onion, pepper, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, egg, pork rinds, pepper, and salt in a food processor with the S-blade in place. (You'll need a full-size food processor; this overwhelmed my little one!) Pulse until the meat is finely ground. Add the pineapple and pulse to mix.

Form into 5 burgers-the mixture will be quite soft-and slap them on the grill. Set a timer for 6 minutes.

While the burgers are cooking, mix together the tomato sauce, mola.s.ses, Splenda, and mustard. When the 6 minutes are up, open the grill, spread the tomato sauce mixture evenly over the burgers and then close the grill and cook for 1 more minute. Serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 4 grams of usable carbs and 22 grams of protein.

These are low-calorie, too! They have just 178 calories per serving.

Albondigas I didn't know whether to put these tasty Mexican meatb.a.l.l.s in the pork chapter or the beef chapter! They're great by themselves, or you can serve them over Cauliflower Rice (page 212).

1 pound (455 g) ground pork 1 pound (455 g) ground beef 1 cup (120 g) shredded zucchini cup (40 g) finely minced onion 2 eggs teaspoon oregano teaspoon pepper teaspoon c.u.min 1 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal 1 can (14 ounces, or 410 g) diced tomatoes, undrained 2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo (or less or more, to taste) cup (180 ml) chicken broth In a big mixing bowl, combine the two meats. Add the zucchini, the onion, and the eggs to the meat. Measure in the seasonings. Using clean hands, smoosh everything together until it's all very well combined-in particular, you shouldn't be able to tell where one meat ends and the other begins. Form into meatb.a.l.l.s a little smaller than a walnut in its sh.e.l.l. Put on a plate and set in the fridge.

Put the tomatoes in a blender-don't drain them first. Add the chipotles and then blend the whole thing until smooth. Dump this combination into a big, heavy skillet and put it over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring the sauce back to a Add the meatb.a.l.l.s and bring to a simmer a third time. Cover the skillet, let the whole thing simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, and then serve.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 22 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs. a.n.a.lysis does not include Cauliflower Rice.

Carnitas These brown and tender cubes of pork are a Mexican cla.s.sic. Serve them over a salad or make a simple soft taco by piling your carnitas on a low-carb tortilla.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) pork shoulder, skin and bone removed Water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice 2 teaspoons salt Cut the pork into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes and put them in a big, heavy skillet. Add just enough water to barely cover the cubes. Add the lime juice, sprinkle with salt, and bring to a boil. Do not cover the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the meat continue to boil until all the water has evaporated.

Turn the heat down even lower and let the meat continue to cook, stirring often, until the meat cubes are browned all over, which may take as long as an hour.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 29 g protein; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g dietary fiber; 0 g usable carb. a.n.a.lysis does not include low-carb tortilla.

Carolina Pulled Pork In much of the country, spareribs are the favorite part of the pig to barbecue. But in the Carolinas, barbecue means pork shoulder (or sometimes even the whole hog!) smoked for ages until it's tender and juicy. Then the meat is cut or pulled off the bone and combined with one of a few different kinds of sauces, depending on the region. The whole process takes a lot of time (though not a tremendous amount of work), but the results are nothing short of spectacular!

1 pork picnic shoulder, about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) Oil Salt and pepper Barbecue rub of choice (optional) Wood chips or chunks, soaked for at least 30 minutes This is way too simple. Set up a grill for indirect smoking (pile all the coals on one side or turn on only half the burners on a gas grill) and add the wood chips or chunks. Then rub the pork shoulder all over with a little oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and sprinkle it liberally with barbecue rub if desired. It's a good idea to insert a meat thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the meat, taking care not to let it touch the Then put that hunk of pork on the grill, fatty side up, and smoke it for a long, long time- 6 to 7 hours. (Don't try simmering this like you might a rack of ribs you wanted to speed up. If you don't have the time, make something else.) Make sure you replace the wood chips or chunks when necessary so that you get plenty of good smoky flavor and take care to keep the temperature between 200F and 225F (95C and 110C). (Lower isn't disastrous, but it can stretch out your cooking time even further. Higher and your meat will grill, not smoke.) When the internal temperature is between 170F and 180F (80C and 85C), your pork is done. Take it off the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it up.

Okay, 10 minutes are up! Cut or pull the pork off the bone; you can discard the bone. Pull or cut off the outside fat. Then, either chop up the meat or pull it apart with two forks until it's in shreds. Now mix it with about 2 2/3 cup (160 ml) Piedmont Mustard Sauce (page 469), Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce (page 469), or Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce (page 470).

How to serve your pulled pork? After all, it's usually served on a bun, and we're sure not going to eat it that way. Well, you can just eat it with a fork by itself, of course, and it will be extremely nice. However, since Carolina barbecue sandwiches are usually topped with coleslaw, why not serve yourself a big pile of coleslaw, top it with pulled pork, and eat the two together as a main-dish salad?

Yield: A 4-pound (1.8-kg) shoulder will yield about 6 servings A 4-pound (1.8-kg) shoulder will yield about 6 servings The carb count will depend on which sauce you choose; the meat itself is pretty much carb-free; 39 grams of protein.

Cajun Barbecued Pork This dish is hot! It's not for the timid, but the taste is complex and delicious.

4 pounds (1.8 kg) country-style pork ribs 1 batch Cajun Rub (page 490) 1 batch Cajun Rib Mop (page 490) [image]cup (160 ml) Cajun Sauce (page 474) Wood chips or chunks, soaked for at least 30 minutes Set up a grill for indirect smoking (pile all the coals on one side or turn on only half the burners on a gas grill) and add the wood chips or chunks. Rub the country-style ribs all over with the Cajun Rub and place them on the grill. Smoke them for 30 to 45 minutes and then start to baste them with the Cajun Rib Mop, using a clean utensil each time, every time you open the grill to add more chips or chunks as the smoke dies down. Smoke for 3 to 4 hours, at least, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170F (80C). Serve with the Cajun Sauce.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each serving will have 7 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 6 grams; 36 grams protein.

Chinese Pork Pork is the most popular meat in China, and this is a de-carbed version of a cla.s.sic Chinese seasoning. Feel free to do this with spareribs instead.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) country-style pork ribs cup (120 ml) soy sauce cup (60 ml) sherry 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons (3 g) Splenda 1 tablespoon (6 g) grated ginger cup (60 ml) oil Mix together everything from the soy sauce through the ginger. Put the ribs in a shallow, nonreactive pan or a resealable plastic bag. Reserve some marinade for basting and pour the rest over them. If you're using a bag, press out the air and seal it. Either way, turn the ribs to coat. Stick the ribs in the fridge and let them marinate for at least a few hours.

Okay, marinating time's up. Pour off half the marinade. Put the ribs with the remaining marinade in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and just barely cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer the ribs for 45 minutes. When they're getting on toward the end of simmering time, start the grill. Mix the oil with the reserved marinade.

Put the ribs over a medium-low charcoal fire or gas grill and grill slowly over direct heat. Baste often with the marinade-oil mixture, using a clean utensil each time, until quite tender-about another 45 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings If you consumed all of the marinade, each serving would have 4 grams of carbohydrate, and a trace of fiber. Since you don't, figure closer to 3 grams per serving; 28 grams of protein.

Absolutely Cla.s.sic Barbecued Ribs This is what most of us think of when we think "barbecued ribs," and a beautiful thing it is, too.

1 slab pork spare ribs, about 7 pounds (3.2 kg) cup (60 g) Cla.s.sic Barbecue Rub (page 486), divided cup (120 ml) oil cup (120 ml) water 1 cup (240 grams) Kansas City Barbecue Sauce (page 467) Wood chips or chunks, soaked for at least 30 minutes First, fire up that grill! Set it up for indirect smoking (pile all the coals on one side or turn on only half the burners on a gas grill) and add the wood chips or chunks.

Sprinkle the ribs heavily on both sides with the Cla.s.sic Barbecue Rub. Then, when your grill is hot or your charcoal is well covered with ash, throw the ribs on the grill on the side away from the fire. Smoke them for a good 6 hours at 225F (110C), adding wood chips whenever the smoke dies down.

Okay, the ribs are in the hot smoke. Put the oil and water in a small pan or bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons (15 g) of the Cla.s.sic Barbecue Rub. After the ribs have smoked for about 30 to 45 minutes, use this simple mop to baste them every time you add fresh chips or chunks to the fire. Make sure to use a clean utensil each time you baste. Turn the ribs over every 60 to 90 minutes.