The photo doesn’t really do these ribs justice. They are sticky, savoury, sweet and just delicious. A friend made something similar for a party a few months ago and they disappeared very quickly indeed.
This recipe is loosely based on one of Hugh F-W’s in his Everyday recipe book. I have added cumin and rosemary to add a bit of an edge and instead of honey I used maple syrup. I used my medlar jelly, but you could use redcurrant, bramble or any other fruit jelly you may have in the cupboard.
If I had more patience I would have cooked them a little bit longer so that they were really caramelised but we were hungry and I couldn’t wait any longer.
I would definitely recommend having lots of paper cloth to hand as you will need it to mop sticky fingers and chins.
Enough for four hungry people.
1.5 kg pork ribs
6 tbsp medlar, or other fruit jelly
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp finely chopped root ginger
½ tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together. Place the ribs in a single layer in a shallow oven proof dish. Pour the marinade over and cover the ribs well by turning them over in the marinade.
Place in the fridge for a few hours (as much time as you have) turning the ribs a couple of times.
Hugh F-W recommends covering the dish with foil, cooking in a preheated oven at 170°c, gas mark 3, for 45 minutes. Then turning the oven up to 190°c, gas mark 5, removing the foil, turning the ribs over, and cooking for another 35 minutes.
I, of course neglected to read any of this. I put my ribs (without foil) in to the baking oven of my Aga (about 180°) for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (whilst I took the girls swimming) and then moved them into the roasting oven (about 200°c) for another 15 minutes when I got back. They might have been stickier with another 5-10 minutes in the roasting oven, but we were all hungry. This worked out well, so it’s up to you if you want to try the advice of a professional or my more slapdash approach to cooking dinner.
I love ribs, especially with a sweet sticky and spicy sauce. Good idea to add cumin, it’s one of my favourite spices. hmmm … I have some ribs in freezer, may make this soon!!
There’s a giveaway on my blog for £100 voucher if you’d like to enter 😉
Ooh Louise I hope you do make it soon. I will popover to yours and take a look.
Did you manage to get the dish clean after cooking the ribs? The sauce really sticks on to anything and everything! The ribs look wonderful.
Ha ha, it took a lot of scrubbing but the dish looks as good as new. Thanks Margaret
OMG I bet these are gorgeous… I’ve never made my own. They look scrummy.
Thanks Sarah, they were really good and are definitely worth making, even if, as Margaret pointed out, the dish needs lots of scrubbing afterwards.
I would have loved these in my meat eating days. CT would love them know – poor man!
Aw thanks Choc. I don’t feel too sorry for CT though, you more than make up for his loss in the meat eating department with those cakes and other delicacies he gets to test 😉
Kath, those sticky ribs look really really good, messy-good–the sort of thing that I should be making today for a Memorial Day picnic. having no medlar jelly about, red currant should work well in its place.
Ooh yes lovely, it will be perfect.