• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• Place the ribs on baking sheet, season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven and let the ribs bake low and slow for 1 ½ hours.

Make the sauce:

• Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle.

  Heat a 2 count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

  Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a smoky flavor.

  Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring, for 5 minutes.

  Add all the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low.

  Cook slowly for 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.

  Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining for serving.
• Baste the ribs with the sauce and continue cooking, basting twice more for 30 minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven. You can let them hang out like this until you're ready to eat.
• When you’re ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes.

  Broil the ribs, basting with the sauce, until they are crisp and browned somewhat, or to your liking.