Some holidays find their beginnings in religion, others celebrate an important historical person, and still others celebrate a particular day or world culture. Memorial Day stands alone as a holiday that arose out of appreciation for and remembrance of every person who gave their lives defending the nation. Although the holiday was officially proclaimed in 1868 by General John Logan, the official recognition does not mark the holiday's true beginnings. No one person or place can be credited with originating Memorial Day because many, many towns and communities were dedicating time to decorate the graves of American soldiers and arranging gatherings in remembrance of our nation's heroes well before Memorial Day was officially declared. Nowadays, most Americans celebrate Memorial Day as the official kick-off of Barbeque Season. Get ready to warm up the coals, pull out the cooler, and create a spread of summer salads and side dishes. PORK SPARERIBS WITH SECRET RECIPE BARBECUE SAUCE INGREDIENTS 3 pounds pork spareribs cut into two rib pieces Salt and black pepper 1 quart of the secret barbecue sauce INSTRUCTIONS: OVEN METHOD Salt and pepper the ribs Place the ribs in a roasting pan with inside of ribs down Place the ribs in a 300 degree F oven until browned (about 1 hour) Drain fat from pan Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce over the ribs to coat them with a thin layer Turn the ribs over and coat with more sauce Bake 45 minutes Turn and coat the ribs with the remaining sauce Bake until tender (about 40-60 minutes more) INSTRUCTIONS: SLOW COOKER METHOD (CROCK POT): Salt and pepper the ribs Brown the ribs in a skillet over medium low heat Pour enough sauce in the crock pot to cover the bottom Put one layer of ribs in the cooker and pour a thin layer of sauce over the ribs Put one more layer of ribs in the cooker and pour a thin layer over those Continue layering until all the ribs are in the cooker Pour remaining sauce over the ribs Cook on high heat for one hour Turn heat down to low and cook about 6 hours or until very tender INSTRUCTIONS: BOILING (Spareribs are sometimes boiled and it does speed up the cooking time) Place the ribs in a large stock pot and cover with boiling water Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the ribs are tender Drain and place ribs in a shallow or low roasting pan Pour my secret barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours Drain excess sauce into a bowl (do not leave excess sauce on the ribs or they may burn while grilling Grill ribs for 30 minutes, basting with the sauce frequently the last 15 minutes of cooking THE SECRET BARBECUE SAUCE RECIPE! Whatever you wish to grill or barbecue, this sauce recipe is what you need to please your palate. The restaurant recipe was developed by me and one of my chefs a number of years ago and has been a favorite restaurant recipe ever since. I even have restaurant guests who request to buy it in bulk for use at home. Now they, and you, can make this secret restaurant recipe at home. INGREDIENTS Makes one quart. 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon butter 3 cups of tomato puree 2 tablespoons Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons A-1 Sauce 2 tablespoons Heinz 57 Sauce 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons honey 2 1/4 teaspoons liquid smoke 2 1/4 teaspoons red wine vinegar Cayenne to taste (optional - start with 1 teaspoon) Salt and Pepper to taste METHOD Heat a large sautee pan or sauce pan over low heat Add butter and onions and cook until the onions are soft Add all other ingredients, turn heat up to medium-low and bring to a boil Turn heat down to low and simmer sauce for 20 minutes, until flavors blend Remove from heat, taste and correct seasoning Store in refrigerator uncovered until cool and then cover or use immediately To thin sauce, use any of the following: water, beef or chicken stock, white or cider vinegar, apple juice, wine or beer. To thicken sauce, mix 1/4 cup cold water or other liquid (above) with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and add to sauce a little at a time until you have achieved the correct consistency. TA-DA! That's it. Now you and your family can enjoy these wonderful pork spareribs - go ahead, use your fingers, just have extra napkins handy. :-) AND FINALLY ... Why don't Mexicans BBQ? The beans fall through the little holes. CHEF GILLIGAN