I absolutely love pork ribs and I have for years tried to find the ultimate recipe.
It seems so obvious now, but the main secret is to cook them for a long time. Duh! But cooking is a learning curve and I never used to slow cook anything until I had children and now I slow cook most things. I just assumed ribs would be tender if I cooked for 40 mins but had marinaded for 24 hours, but it is not the case.
I have had many a discussion with friends about the ultimate rib recipe, and it appears that most people have their way of doing it. A bit like a spag bol.
So, I think you could add or substitute many of the ingredients to suit your own taste, but this is 'my way' of doing it. Again like most of my recipes it is a store cupboard kind of sauce. I tend to buy decent ribs when I see them on offer and freeze them. Then I can defrost them when I need them.
Plus the sauce can be made in a matter of minutes and you are literally chucking ingredients together. Plus once they are in the oven you can forget about them!
Ribs are a great weekend meal. I often make the sauce when I have a child free moment and put it in the fridge. Then around kids teatime I put the ribs in the oven. Then once the kids are bathed and asleep I come downstairs and dinner is already cooked! How about that for minimum effort maximum output?!
They also work well on the BBQ and you can have them in oven slow cooking before your guests arrive and you can finish them off the BBQ for that charcoal taste.
Or I often cook them if we have friends over for dinner as a finger food starter.
My recipe has been mainly inspired by Alex Hollywood (wife of Paul!). She posted a recipe on twitter that I tried as was curious about her suggestion of adding orange juice.
It was well worth a try as it works a treat keeping the moisture in the meat as well of adding a lovely natural sweetness.
But I have put my own twist on her recipe as you will see below:
INGREDIENTS:
Oven temp 140-160c.
Cook for approx 3 hours.
Pork ribs: Approx 750g of baby back ribs/spare ribs for 2 people.
Or 1 rack of ribs per person if easier. I have bought all varieties.
Sauce:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup if you have it
2 tsp english mustard powder
2 tsp muscavado sugar
1 tbsp of worcester sauce
Dash of balsamic vinegar
A generous squirt of tomato ketchup
1 tsp 5 spice
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 cloves of crushed/chopped garlic
2 x red chilli chopped (optional) great for colour.
Squeeze of a lemon
Juice of 1 orange (this was Alex Hollywood's suggestion that has changed everything)
Method:
1.Place the ribs in a deep oven proof dish.
2.Then in a mixing bowl put each of the sauce ingredients in and give it a really good mix with a spoon. It is important to taste as if too acidic add more honey/sugar and you might want to season well with salt and pepper.
3.Pour the sauce over the ribs and use some tongs to turn ribs over ensuring they are evenly coated with the sauce.
4.Cover the dish securely with foil and place in the oven.
5.Check on the ribs after 2 hours turning over and basting with sauce. Then cook for another hour possibly 2 if the sauce stick needs thickening. You can add more orange juice as you can go along if needed.
6. Enjoy your amazingly tender tasty ribs! You will need napkins and possibly a bib :-)
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