Super-Quick Non-Marinade Marinade

Forgive my nonsensical name for this recipe (if I can even call it that!), but what I mean is that this is a marinade for meats such as ribs or chicken that can be knocked up in seconds and smothered on your chosen meat and then shoved in the oven without having to leave it for hours to allow the flavours to seep in. I added the maple syrup element at the last minute as I had a flash of inspiration upon remembering Nigella's recipe for maple chicken and ribs from Express. I was originally going to use honey which would work well in the absence of maple syrup. All measurements are approximate.