Clean the ribs and cut them apart into individual pieces. Place the ribs in a pot with the sauce ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the boiling water and bring the sauce to a boil. Adjust heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain the sauce into a bowl and set ribs aside. (The dish can be done ahead to this point with both the sauce and ribs being refrigerated.)
Measure 1/4 cup of sauce and combine it with 2 TBS soy sauce and 2 TBS of sherry. In a large skillet, heat the oil until hot, add the garlic and 1 1/2 TBS sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved (adding a bit of the sauce liquid if necessary). Add the remaining sauce a little at a time (this splatters) and stir until it "puffs" into thick bubbles. Add the ribs to the sauce mixture and stir vigorously until they are coated with the sauce. There should be no liquid remaining in the pan at this point. Immediately arrange the ribs on a platter and serve. 4 servings.