This really is a dish to eat with people you know very well, because it really should be eaten with your fingers. the delicious, sticky sauce needs licking off those dainty digits and you need to eat the tender pork from the bones. Not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but if you do love spare ribs, this is a great dish for you. If you really can’t bear to eat with your fingers but love the taste of the pork with barbeque sauce, you could use spare rib pork chops instead and then eat them much more demurely with a knife and fork. This sauce is also good for chicken. Anyway, for finger-licking fun, you will need:
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1 onion – finely chopped, 1 large red chilli – chopped, 2 tablespoons of sun dried pureed tomato, 1 can of tinned tomatoes, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped sage or ¼ tablespoon of dried, 2 tablespoons brown sugar , 5 fl ozs of beef stock , 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce , 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, spareribs of pork (cook as a rack or cut individually – up to you)
- Over a medium heat, heat oil in a frying pan , add garlic, onion and chilli and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. The onions should be soft, but not brown.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the pork, and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes
- Place the ribs in a baking dish and pour the sauce evenly all over them
- Bake for one hour at Gas mark 6/200°C/180 Fan until they are brown and crispy, basting every 15 minutes
- Serve with fingerbowls and plenty of serviettes, you can garnish the top with chopped spring onions and chopped red jalapenos for extra heat if you wish.
If you want to prepare the sauce in advance, allow it to cool, refrigerate and then add to the ribs, marinating them for a while will really add to the flavour. If you are cooking this for a main course, serve with baked potatoes, green salad and lots of crusty bread. For a starter, simply serve on their own.
The Bombay Boys 