Parboiling the ribs before baking tenderizes the meat. It also leaves the meat less flavorful if you use lots of plain water as the liquid. Counteract that by using only enough water to barely cover the ribs. Add herbs and seasonings to the water or replace the water with fruit juice, wine or beer. Boil or simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until the ribs are tender.

Steam reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature of boiling water. Steaming keeps all the flavor in the meat instead of transferring it to the water. If you don't have a steamer, improvise. Use a colander and a deep pot or place cake racks inside the pot for the ribs to rest on above the water. Throw in a handful of fresh herbs to flavor the steam. Steam the ribs for an hour until they are fork-tender.

Let the oven do the steaming for you. Set a row of celery stalks in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the ribs over the celery and add a cup of water to the pan. The water should not touch the ribs. Set in a 350 F oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 225 F. Steam-bake for an hour. Discard the celery and empty the pan of water. Use the same pan to bake the ribs.

No matter how you tenderize the ribs, bake them for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 to 375 F as the finishing touch. Add your favorite barbecue sauce or use teriyaki, buffalo wing or spicy sweet tomato salad dressing.