Tender & sticky spare ribs

Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 2 hrs 0 mins

Ingredients

  • Serves 6
  • For the ribs:
  • 3kg pork baby back ribs
  • 2 onions, peeled and sliced in half
  • 1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled and top sliced off
  • pinch of sea salt
  • For the barbecue sauce:
  • 60g demerara sugar
  • 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried English mustard
  • 2 tsp Tabasco sauce

The sticky marinade used for these ribs is a perfect BBQ sauce for many grilled meats and is particularly delicious when used to glaze sausages cooked over a hot barbecue.

Cut the strips of ribs into manageable pieces with about 3–4 ribs to each piece. Then put the ribs in a large saucepan with the onions, garlic, a generous pinch of salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1–1½ hours or until the meat is tender.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°C/Gas Mark 6 or light the barbecue. Whisk all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce together in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until you have a thick sauce.

Remove the ribs from the pan and discard the water, onion and garlic. Place the ribs in a large baking dish or roasting tin, pat dry with kitchen paper and coat with half the barbecue sauce. Place in the oven to cook for 20 minutes or place on the barbecue for 5 minutes on each side and then serve with the rest of the barbecue sauce and devour.