Prepare to get messy with these lip-smacking, finger-licking rib recipe
Smoky balsamic pork ribs
Serves: 4
Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins
Ingredients
2kg baby back pork ribs or spare ribs
For the sauce
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups beef stock
¼ cup treacle sugar or honey
200g tomato purée
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and milled pepper
For the slaw
1 cup each shredded green and red cabbage
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
120g sugar snap peas
Handful chopped coriander and basil
1 bulb baby fennel, shredded (optional)
Fresh coriander and micro herbs
Method
- Combine ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and season.
- Place ribs in a large baking dish and add the sauce, coating ribs evenly. (Skip this step if you want to braai the ribs – see below left.)
- Cover dish with foil and cook ribs in the oven at 160°C for 50 minutes, rotating ribs halfway through cooking.
- Remove ribs and set aside on a plate. Strain sauce into a pot.
- Bring sauce to the boil to reduce, stirring often until it resembles a thick glaze (about 10 minutes).
- Heat a grill pan or braai grill. Add ribs and cook for 15 minutes, turning and brushing with glaze every few minutes until charred and sticky. Transfer ribs to a serving board.
- Blanch sugar snap peas in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then plunge into cold water.
- Toss cabbage, apple, peas, herbs and fennel in a bowl to combine.
- Pour any remaining sauce over ribs, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with slaw on the side.
Smoke machine:
Braai ribs (without sauce coating) for 40 minutes; turning every 15 minutes to get an even char and smoky flavour. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, baste the ribs generously with the sauce.
