The ingredient list is quite long for these ribs, but the flavour is well worth the effort! And once you gather the ingredients, the hands-on time is short. Recipe adapted from Olive magazine.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Essential Ingredient Pork
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 3 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Calories 300kcal
Author Aimee
Ingredients
For the brine
1.5kgpork rib racks
2Tablespoonsdark brown sugarsuch as muscovado
2Tablespoonsfine sea salt
1Tablespoonenglish mustard powder
1Tablespoonsmoked paprika
1teaspoonchilli powder
1teaspoonblack peppercorns
1teaspoongarlic powder
zest of 2 oranges
2bay leaves
For the sauce
400gcanned diced tomatoes
1onionchopped
3clovesgarlicroughly chopped
3Tablespoonscider vinegar
2Tablespoonspure maple syrup
1Tablespoonsoy sauce
1TablespoonWorcestershire sauce
500mlapple ciderhard cider not fresh pressed
1star anise
Instructions
Place the ribs in a shallow roasting pan. In a food processor, whizz all of the dry brine ingredients, except the bay leaves. Pour over the ribs, tear over the bay leaves, and rub in. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Heat the oven to 325F.
Lightly rinse the dry brine from the ribs and return to the roasting pan. Whizz all of the sauce ingredients, except the star anise, in a food processor. Pour the sauce over the ribs, add the star anise and cover the pan tightly with a double layer of foil.
Cook in the oven for 2.5 hours, basting regularly, then remove the foil and cook for a further 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
Cool the ribs completely, then transfer them into freezer bags, along with the sauce and freeze. To defrost, leave in the fridge overnight.
To finish the ribs, heat a grill or barbecue to high and put the ribs directly onto the barbecue on indirect heat. Grill for 15-20 minutes, carefully turning occasionally. When ribs are heated through, pile into a serving dish.
Serve hot, topped with grilled garlic scapes or grilled green onions, if desired.
Notes
I used hard cider for this recipe but it would also be just as good with fresh pressed apple cider.