Originally posted by K Kruger:
A glaze--to me--is not a sauce that is thickly applied and cooked on to 'glaze' the ribs, it's an already-thickened, often fairly translucent mixture that when applied (thinly, with a pastry brush), tightens and sets rather quickly--in just a few minutes--so that one need only apply at the very end. Not enough time for possible burning as little time is needed. One coat, maybe two, is enough to offer shine and a flavor layer, but not so much that the surface of the meat is obscured nor the texture of the bark unfelt by the tongue.
This thread offers suggestions on flavor combos (by no means exhaustive; the list goes on) and techniques for making your own from various types of items. The approach is fairly standard (like the one used in Bryan's link), but I include ideas for working with preserves, juices, liquors or liqueurs, chilies, etc. The outline was written with ham in mind but the approach is the same. The difference is that, usually, one builds up a thicker glaze on something like ham (more appications, more frequently, for a longer time), whereas for ribs (imo) the glaze is applied just once or twice near the finish. Of course, if you prefer a thicker glaze you can do what you like.