Here's and easy and very tasty marinade for ribs that's kind of came together with a little tinkering here and there.....

1 cup apple cider or juice
� cup maple syrup
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 star anise, crushed
1 cinnamon stick (broken) or 1 tsp ground
1 tsp allspice, crushed
� tsp cloves, crushed
� tsp hot red pepper, like chile pequin, crushed

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider, maple syrup, vegetable oil and soy sauce. Add garlic, star anise, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and hot pepper. Mix well.
2. In a large Ziploc freezer bag, add rib racks that have been cut into �. Pour in the marinade and seal. Shake well and refrigerate 24-48 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Remove ribs from the marinade and commence smoking. Meanwhile, strain the marinade, discard solids, and reduce liquid by �. Reserve marinade and brush on ribs towards the end of the smoke.

Note: The quantity called for here works well with 2-3 racks of ribs. Also, I put the whole spices in a ziploc sandwich bag and crush with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy sauce pan.

BTW - Works well with chicken parts also.

DLS, I'm going to give this one a try. Looks like something my family here in Taiwan will like, has a bit of an Asian touch to it.
I spent 3 years in Chicago with the Cubs, 89-91. Also had some time in Sarasota coaching with the White Sox. So you're in 2 places that I have some very fond memories of.
Hope you're well, and thanks for the recipe.