USA pork spare ribs

In a attempt to NOT buy the same old stuff at the butcher's yesterday, and having just re-read my blog entry from New Year's 2007 in which I vowed to make some new things this year and not fall back on the same old kitchen routine, and feeling quite depressed about it being already AUGUST and I still haven't even tried to make a souffle, I had a brain snap and bought some pre-seasoned USA-style pork spare ribs.

Interestingly enough, there was a choice in the chilled cabinet: the ribs I bought, which were actual ribs, not very meaty, and covered with a dry spice rub, and some other things called "BBQ spare ribs" which looked different and were sitting in a thick liquid marinade. So I asked the butcher guy what the difference was. He gave me a look. Said the meaty things were pork belly strips with some meat attached. Just as well then: didn't particularly fancy tucking into a big sticky slab of pork tummy fat. Although why they're labelled 'ribs' is still a bafflement. Whatever.
Anyhoo, drove the ribs home in the car (put the passenger seatbelt over the shopping bag and everything) and prepared the dinner. The butcher guy reckoned they have a tendency to dry out, so at his recommendation I put a tray of water in the bottom of the oven and then popped the ribs on a tray lined with baking paper, at a slow heat (150C).
Then I got bored, concerned and impatient.
Cranked up the heat. Thought about how the bones had to cook all the way through: therefore needs MORE FIRE for SUPREME ROASTAGE!! After about an hour, they came out. They were definitely done. Tops were all crusty and golden: rib ends were brown. Very good, I thought.
Threw them on plates with these potatoes, corn cobs and steamed green beans.
Mr Porklover reckoned they were totally awesome. I reckoned they were on the dry side (thanks for the tip, butcher guy) and the spices or whatever the hell they were had an unpleasant aftertaste. Probably better, next time, to rub my own spices into my own ribs: that way there'd be less of the not knowing and the uncertainty, and more of the satisfaction and creativity and deliciousness.