Went to my friend’s home for a BBQ meal on Australia Day. She served BBQ beef which is awesomely delicious using her BBQ Weber. As usual, I will ask for the recipe as I loved to try it out. I’ve been waiting for beef spare ribs to be on sale. Unfortunately, they aren’t. I am using pork spare ribs instead; just bought 1 rack, and finally able to use the BBQ steak sauce and a pack of sweet alcoholic apple cider that I bought in January. I am using the oven.

Google: “BBQ spare ribs are a cut of meat, specifically the ribs from the lower section of a pig’s rib cage, often found near the belly and breastbone. They are known for being meatier and fattier than other types of ribs like baby back ribs. The fat and connective tissue in spare ribs break down during slow cooking, resulting in tender, juicy meat. Spare ribs can be prepared in various ways, including grilling, smoking, and braising, and can be paired with a variety of rubs and sauces.”

“Pork ribs are a good source of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair, as well as B vitamins like B6 and B12, which support energy metabolism and brain health. A serving of spare ribs can provide a significant amount of protein, which is important for muscle growth and repair.” 

I change her recipe to suit my taste and pork ribs. It’s a trial and error though I did search a handful of recipes most used oven some BBQ, grilling, and smoking. I am glad it turned out flavourful, fall off the bones and finger liking delicious.

Ingredients

Spare rib

1 rack of pork spare rib
3/4 c sweet alcoholic apple cider (Strongbow apple cider bottle 6 X 335 ml)
olive oil
salt
black pepper

Marinade

1 fresh red chilli (OPT)
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 1/4 Tsp paprika powder
2 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp onion powder
2 Tsp cayenne powder
1 Tsp dried oregano

BBQ sauce

3/4 c tomato sauce
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/4 c sweet alcoholic apple cider
100 g brown sugar
1/4 cup steak sauce
2 Tbs butter
2 Tsp balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
2 Tsp Tabasco sauce (OPT)
2 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp onion powder
salt
black pepper

Vegetables

2 carrots, cut to bite size
1 cucumber, cut to bite size
1 red capsicum, cut to bite

Method

Deseed and finely chop the chili. Wash hands thoroughly and wear gloves if desired. Drizzle 1 Tbs of oil over the rib, season with salt and black pepper, and rub all over to coat on baking paper on the benchtop. Combine the rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the rib; apply more on the meat side. Transfer to a deep baking tray; I cut it in half to fit in my baking tray; then place the ribs all meaty side up. Sprinkle the finely chopped chili on top of the meaty ribs. Cover with foil or cling wrap. Marinate overnight or for 2-4 hours. I marinate overnight.

The next day

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Bring out from the fridge for about 30 minutes. In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add BBQ sauce ingredients, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Switch off hob, and set aside.

Pour the sweet alcoholic apple cider underneath the ribs, cover tightly with foil, then bake for about 45 minutes or until the meat is pretty tender. Note: Use BBQ and regular forks to check if you can pull the meat apart with little effort but not yet falling off the bone. My friend said it’s very important as pork meat needed to be really cooked through. Depends on how many ribs you are making.

Remove from oven, increase oven temperature to 180°C. Remove foil and chopped chili if you can find it, drizzle with a little oil, and baste ribs with BBQ sauce. Put the ribs back into the oven uncovered for a further 7-10 minutes or until the ribs becomes nice and crisp.

Meantime get another baking tray and lined with foil then remove ribs from oven, transfer to the new lined tray. Pour any juices from tray over the ribs. Baste the ribs with BBQ sauce, turn the meat side down; continue to bake for 15-30 minutes, flip the meat side up and basting halfway through. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you’ve got a sticky and glazed.

Meantime, put kettle on. Once boil, pour into a small pot. Boil carrot slices for about 7-9 minutes. Serve rib with carrot slices, cucumber slices and capsicums pieces. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2020/05/20/bbq-spare-pork-ribs-with-vegetables/

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