Ribs are an absolute favourite of mine. To me nothing compares to ribs that have great flavour and tender enough to fall off the bone when you bite down. These ribs have all the elements that make a great rib. It is sticky, chewy, sweet and sour with a hint of the orient. The flavours come out even stronger if the ribs are left overnight in the sticky marinade. This recipe serves 4-6 and takes 1 hour in the oven.
What you need
2kg Pork ribs, separated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, for frying
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
10cm fresh root of ginger, peeled and sliced
3 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 whole star anise
8 tablespoons runny honey
300ml soy sauce
4 tablespoons vinegar
600ml old brown sherry
10 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
800ml chicken stock
The process
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Rub a little salt and pepper into the pork ribs.

On the stove plate heat the oil in a roasting pan and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside.

Add the garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, peppercorns, star anise and the honey and continue to cook over the heat for 2 minutes or until the honey begins to caramelize.

Add the soy sauce, vinegar and sherry and bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 1 minute.
Add the spring onions and the chicken stock and bring to the boil.

Add the ribs back to your roasting pan and make sure they are all nicely coated with the sauce.

Place in a pre-heated oven and cook for 1 hour until tender. Turn after ½ and hour giving the ribs at the top a chance to languish in that sauce for a while.

Once the ribs are done, take out of the oven.

Take ribs out of the marinade and keep to one side.

Place the roasting pan with the marinade onto the stove and heat the marinade for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and syrupy.

Place the ribs back in the pan and coat them with the marinade.

Now roll up your sleeves, have a damp cloth nearby and dig in….