Indulgent flavours and hearty portions make this combo a steakhouse comfort classic. 

Smoky BBQ pork ribs & cheesy loaded fries

Serves 4 

Ingredients  

2kg raw pork spare ribs
Salt and milled pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, diced (or use red onion)
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
½-1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 cup BBQ sauce 

For the cheesy loaded fries 

Canola oil, for frying
1kg frozen fries
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ cup beer
1½ cups milk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup grated mozzarella
¼ cup grated Grana Padano
Handful chopped parsley + extra to garnish
Salt and milled pepper 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Season pork ribs and place in oven for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat butter on a medium heat, fry shallot and garlic for about 4-5 minutes. Add smoked paprika and chilli flakes, if using. Fry stirring for another minute. 
4. Add BBQ sauce, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season. 
5. Lower oven temperature to 180°C. Generously baste the pork ribs with the BBQ sauce, cover with foil and roast another 1½ hours, basting every 30 minutes. 
6. Increase oven temperature again to 200°C. Remove the foil, baste again and roast for another 20 minutes until sticky. 
7. For the cheesy loaded fries, heat oil until shimmering hot.Fry the fries until golden, drain on kitchen towel and season. 
8. Heat butter until melted, add flour and stir to create a smooth slurry. Add beer and stir until incorporated. 
9. Add milk and mustard, whisk until smooth. Cook for about 5-8 minutes. The sauce must simmer for the flour to cook. Once the sauce has simmered for a few minutes, remove from heat then add cheeses and parsley. Stir until melted. Season. 
10. Pour the sauce over the fries and serve with sticky pork ribs.

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Hot & sour pork broth recipe

The post Smoky BBQ pork ribs & cheesy loaded fries appeared first on MyKitchen.

South Africans will use any opportunity to braai, that’s for sure! If you want to be crowned the Braai Master this year, here are three of our all-time favourite basting sauces and marinades guaranteed to impress your guests.

Apricot-butter braaied snoek

SERVES 6 | COOKING TIME 90 min

INGREDIENTS

1 whole snoek, filleted
Coarse salt and black pepper
150g butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
125ml smooth apricot jam
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Cape Malay curry powder
Splash white wine (optional)
Olive oil

METHOD

1. Sprinkle the snoek with salt and leave for 20–30 minutes. Rinse off and pat dry.
2. Cook the butter and garlic until the butter is foamy. Add apricot jam, lemon zest, curry powder and wine. Stir through. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.
3. Coat the snoek in oil so it won’t stick to the grid. Braai for about 15 minutes, basting with the apricot butter and turning frequently. Serve with leftover apricot butter.

Honey and soy spatchcock chicken with herb salad

SERVES 4

Thinking about what you should make for dinner tonight? How about a perfectly tender spatchcock chicken doused in an Asian-style dressing, served with a fresh seasonal herb salad? You’re welcome.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken

½ cup sweet Indonesian soy sauce
½ cup teriyaki sauce
¼ cup BBQ sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 spatchcock chicken
1 lemon, halved or quartered

For the salad

1 tbsp lemon juice, plus zest of ½ a lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper
2 packets baby salad leaves
1 packet micro herbs
2 spring onions, sliced
Edible flowers, to garnish

METHOD

For the chicken
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix the sweet Indonesian soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce and honey together in a bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.
3. Place the chicken on a foil-lined roasting tray and roast in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until cooked and sticky, basting every 15 minutes.

For the salad
1. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, mustard and honey together and season.
2. Just before serving, toss the dressing together with the baby salad leaves, micro herbs and spring onions, and garnish with edible flowers. Serve the salad with the chicken and lemon wedges.

Got plans for the weekend? Nope? Great! Whip up your own BBQ sauce, baste a spatchcock chicken and throw it on the braai.

Sticky Ribs

SERVES 8–10 | COOKING TIME 2 hours, 20 min

These sweet sticky ribs are the perfect starter or snack for when you want to entertain some guests. They’re absolutely divine!

INGREDIENTS

2 kg pork back ribs, cut in half lengthwise, bite-sized
8 rooibos tea bags
½ cup brown sugar, plus 3 tbsp
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Spring onions, sliced, to garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the ribs in a roasting tin.
2. Place the tea bags in a bowl with 2 cups boiling water and steep for 10–15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add ½ cup brown sugar, orange zest and juice, and seasoning. Pour over the ribs and cover with tinfoil.
3. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven.
4. Turn up the oven to 230°C.
5. Drain the cooking juices from the roasting tin into a pot and simmer over a medium heat to reduce by half, 15–20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except spring onions) to form a glaze. Remove from the heat.
6. Return the ribs to the oven and cook, basting often with the glaze, until caramelised and sticky.
7. Allow to cool slightly. Serve garnished with spring onions.

The post Be the Snoek, Spatchcock and Rib Braai Master appeared first on MyKitchen.

Our favourite musical chef is back again with another finger-licking recipe where he shows us just how creative you can get with a good bottle of stout in the kitchen.

SERVES 2-3 // COOKING TIME 105 mins, plus marinating time

INGREDIENTS
800g rack pork ribs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
½ can Castle Milk Stout
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, grated
4 tbsp apricot chutney
2 tbsp tomato paste

METHOD
1. Combine vegetable oil, sesame seed oil, Castle Milk Stout, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, chutney and tomato paste in a bowl to make the marinade and rub into the ribs.
2. Seal ribs and marinade in a plastic bag to marinade for as long as you can – remember the more it marinades, the better the flavour will be (marinate for a minimum of 3 hours).
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 220°C.
4. Wrap ribs in a double layer of foil and place on a roasting tray in the oven and cook for 50 minutes.
5. After 50 minutes, open up foil and grill ribs for another 20 minutes until they go sticky and brown.
6. Remove from oven and serve warm.

The post J’Something’s sticky stout ribs appeared first on MyKitchen.