Travelling to the USA has gotten me more than a little bit excited about BBQ. BBQ is a big deal here and is a far cry from the British conception of a barbecue; the act of grilling meat fast over high heat in your garden on a Saturday afternoon. Burnt bits, raw insides and testosterone fuelled battles between dads are defining factors. Things are a little different here.
I’ll be following up with a more extensive article on US BBQ in the Food Travel section once I reach the BBQ portion of my current Food Tour in Texas and North Carolina, but I thought I’d get into the swing of things by preparing a home cooking version of BBQ pork ribs. Without a good quality barbecue, preferably wood burning, it is not possible to replicate some of the wonders I will be gorging myself on in weeks to come – however, this, while certainly not BBQ, is a delicious way of cooking pork ribs. Roasted for a long time at very low heat, marinated in a delicious, savoury, spiced rub and finished off with a sweet glaze. If done correctly the pork should fall off the bone and should remain juicy and moist. I adapted this recipe from the excellent one provided by www.soupbelly.com.
Serve with vinegar based coleslaw or salad with a slightly acidic dressing, to cut through the fattiness of the pork.
I’ll be following up with a more extensive article on US BBQ in the Food Travel section once I reach the BBQ portion of my current Food Tour in Texas and North Carolina, but I thought I’d get into the swing of things by preparing a home cooking version of BBQ pork ribs. Without a good quality barbecue, preferably wood burning, it is not possible to replicate some of the wonders I will be gorging myself on in weeks to come – however, this, while certainly not BBQ, is a delicious way of cooking pork ribs. Roasted for a long time at very low heat, marinated in a delicious, savoury, spiced rub and finished off with a sweet glaze. If done correctly the pork should fall off the bone and should remain juicy and moist. I adapted this recipe from the excellent one provided by www.soupbelly.com.
Serve with vinegar based coleslaw or salad with a slightly acidic dressing, to cut through the fattiness of the pork.
Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 2):
1 rack good quality Pork ribs – approx. 12 ribs.
1 tablespoon honey
Rub ingredients:
2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tsp. pork rub seasoning – you can grab this from most supermarkets. If you can’t get it, then just add 1 tsp extra paprika, 1 tsp garlic salt, ¼ tsp chilli powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 good glug of vegetable oil
Method:
1. Mix together the rub ingredients. Rub into the ribs, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat an oven to 200 Fahrenheit, 95 Celsius.
3. Cut the rack in half, dribble a bit of oil on each and seal each half in a parcel of tinfoil. Make sure the seal is at the top so that the juices don’t leak out, and make sure that the seal is tight. Place on a rack in a roasting tray and bake in the oven for 4 hours. The ribs should be cooked through, tender but still juicy.
4. Remove from the oven and remove from the foil. Carefully pour all of the juices left in the foil into a saucepan. Place the ribs to one side, covered, and leave to rest. This helps tenderise the meat as it relaxes, as its juices are released and then reabsorbed into the meat.
5. Heat your oven grill on high.
6. Reduce the juices in the saucepan for a few minutes until they are well reduced and take on a syrupy texture. Add the honey.
7. Brush the ribs with this sauce and place under the grill for around 4-5 minutes until they are caramelised, dark toffee brown and delicious looking. Remove from the oven, serve.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
1 rack good quality Pork ribs – approx. 12 ribs.
1 tablespoon honey
Rub ingredients:
2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tsp. pork rub seasoning – you can grab this from most supermarkets. If you can’t get it, then just add 1 tsp extra paprika, 1 tsp garlic salt, ¼ tsp chilli powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 good glug of vegetable oil
Method:
1. Mix together the rub ingredients. Rub into the ribs, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat an oven to 200 Fahrenheit, 95 Celsius.
3. Cut the rack in half, dribble a bit of oil on each and seal each half in a parcel of tinfoil. Make sure the seal is at the top so that the juices don’t leak out, and make sure that the seal is tight. Place on a rack in a roasting tray and bake in the oven for 4 hours. The ribs should be cooked through, tender but still juicy.
4. Remove from the oven and remove from the foil. Carefully pour all of the juices left in the foil into a saucepan. Place the ribs to one side, covered, and leave to rest. This helps tenderise the meat as it relaxes, as its juices are released and then reabsorbed into the meat.
5. Heat your oven grill on high.
6. Reduce the juices in the saucepan for a few minutes until they are well reduced and take on a syrupy texture. Add the honey.
7. Brush the ribs with this sauce and place under the grill for around 4-5 minutes until they are caramelised, dark toffee brown and delicious looking. Remove from the oven, serve.
ribs, fresh from the oven, post glaze
SO MUCH MEAT
A slice of ribby, porky bliss.
