BBQ Ribs recipe - perfect Saturday night food.

For me, Saturdays are a good day for going to the local market, and getting something to cook for the evening. Saturdays are actually more relaxed than Sundays, in so much that you've got a night in or out to look forward to, rather than that unsettling wait for work the next day that happens on Sunday evening.
TV is pretty rubbish too - low brow, uncomplicated stuff. I like that. And I like to pair food to match. Something you can eat with your fingers on the sofa or in bed. Comfort food taking away Friday nights over indulgence, or lining your stomach for another night out.

It's fun to go to the local market, because you've generally got much more choice than a supermarket, both in terms of availability and freshness. Much cheaper too.

My typical Saturday dinner is often slow cooked. I've got time to get home around 3pm, stick the food on, and then settle down to watch some football on TV, before cracking open a beer or gin and tonic and prepping the food ready for about 8pm.

Ribs are perfect finger food, and if you can get hold of some good pork ones, then it's  simple and satisfying dish to make. I know that in America, they are seen as the Holy Grail of BBQ food, with literally thousands of "secret" recipes available on the net to follow. I've tried all sorts of methods, but this one is easy to make and you end up with great results. Pair them with fries and a home made coleslaw, and you've got the perfect TV dinner. Oh, don't forget the beer. I've gone for Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. It's a great hoppy beer with a suitable malt back bone to compliment the smoky flavours of the ribs.

You'll need:

A large rack of pork loin ribs
1 tablespoon strong mustard
1 and a half teaspoons of paprika
2 tablespoons of ketchup
2 and a half tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce
1 tablespoon of Bourbon (optional)

What to do:

1) Turn the racks curved side down with the wider end facing you. Use a knife to peel away the membrane from the bones. This results in much tender ribs.

2) Mix together the marinade ingredients and rub half of it into the ribs well. Put in a shallow dish and then put in the fridge for 3 hours or so. Turn it once or twice so that the entire ribs are coated.

3)Pre-heat the oven to 150c. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and cook for 2 and a half hours, basting every half hour. Remove the foil for the last 15 mins of cooking. Once done - the rack should end up floppy. Not burnt to a crisp.

4) Heat up a griddle pan, or heavy frying pan (or BBQ if you are outdoors), brush the ribs with the remainder of the marinade and cook until caramelised.

5) Serve with fries and garnish of your choice. As mentioned, coleslaw works well, and so does corn on the cob. And a beer of course.