Sticky pork ribs

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Sticky pork ribs

This is a recipe from my second cookbook, Everyday Delicious! Ribs are probably something not a lot of people make at home, which is a shame as they’re so easy. People will be rather impressed when you serve up a mountain of delicious sticky ribs with tender meat almost falling off the bone. Add a couple of cold beers and you’ve got yourself a bistro at home!

Ingredients

2 racks pork ribs
olive oil for cooking

Sauce
2 onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
11⁄2 cups unsalted beef stock
1 cup pineapple juice
25g butter
squeeze of lemon
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp malt vinegar
3 tsp mild smoked paprika
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
pinch chilli flakes

Method

Preheat the oven to 160c regular bake.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Brush each pork rib rack with oil and cut in half so they fit in the pan. Sear in batches in the pan meaty side down until nicely browned. Transfer to a roasting tray.

To make the sauce, reduce the pan heat to medium, add a splash of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic cloves until golden. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and add to the pork.

Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours. Carefully transfer the meat to a board (the meat will be falling apart, so take care not to break the ribs). Pour the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan and simmer rapidly until reduced to a nice dark syrupy sauce — this might take 15–20 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 220c regular bake.

Cut or pull the slightly cooled ribs into single rib portions, then arrange on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Coat each rib with the sauce. Bake in the oven for another 10–15 minutes, basting a few times with more glorious sauce to coat generously – we want sticky, people!