• 3 to 4 pounds spare ribs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 allspice berries
• 2 or 3 3-inch cinnamon sticks
• 10 nickel-sized slices unpeeled fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 5 dried red chilies or a teaspoon of cayenne
• 5 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
• 1 bottle dark beer, like Guinness or any porter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut meat into two racks if necessary; season with salt and pepper. Put oil in a large, deep ovenproof skillet or casserole that can later be covered. Turn heat to medium-high and, when oil shimmers, sear meat on both sides until nicely browned, turning as necessary.

Add allspice, cinnamon, ginger, chilies and garlic and stir; add beer. Bring to a boil; cover pan and adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Put in oven and cook until meat is tender, 1 hour or more. (You can prepare meat up to a day or two ahead; if you are not going to grill or broil immediately, put whole pan in refrigerator after it cools a bit.)

Light a charcoal or gas grill or heat broiler; rack should be about 4 inches away from heat source. Drain meat and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Grill or broil on both sides until brown and crisp, just a few minutes. Meanwhile, skim cooking liquid of fat, bring to a boil, and use as sauce.