Spare Ribs -- This really works!

[Seraphina]

All of my recipes have been created by me for cooking on a yacht

Pork Ribs -- 500 gm for two is a rough guide

50ml Wine vinegar - red or white, no need for posh vinegar could even use malt or spirit vinegar
3 good dessertspoons of honey with a good honey flavour
1 good teaspoon of black treacle or Spanish Frigliana Cana (optional)
10ml Soy sauce
1 teaspoon mild mustard (e.g. dark brown 'french' or French's)
1 dessertspoon ketchup
0.75 teaspoon of Five Spices Chinese powder (essential!!!!!)
A smidgen of garlic if you like but go very easy on it in this recipe. 0.25 tsp of garlic powder works
Good grind of fresh black pepper
1/4 cup of flour -- enough to dust ribs after marinading You could use cornflour and get a clearer sauce but it costs more. Personal choice. If you are going to use cornflour you can use instant or normal. No difference in this recipe.

Method

Mix the ingredients (but not the flour and meat) in a bowl and stir until combined. Marinate the ribs in the marinade for a few hours -- easiest in a flat dish or bowl and keep in the fridge. Turn every so often when convenient, or baste. Overnight would be excellent as long as it is in the fridge!

Take the ribs out of the marinade and allow the marinade to drip off. Dust the ribs with the flour. Pour the marinade into a baking tray and pop the ribs in. Put into a hot oven 175C and keep an eye on it, turning after about 20 minutes. When they look done (meat starting to pull back from the bones) they are done. It will probably take between 40 minutes to an hour or more depending on the oven (boat ovens vary). Set a time to check after 20 mins, 20 mins then every 10 mins (or so) thereafter. While cooking you will have to add water into the baking tray from time to time to keep the consistency of the sauce right and prevent it from burning. Pour the water onto the pan, not the ribs! Move things around and turn the ribs when checking, preferably with a wooden spatula.

You can put this dish aside for several hours at 60C, or prepare it well in advance. Why not do your own cook-chill (but watch temperatures)? With care, you could pack this sous-vide (vacuum, but you need the kit) and it would keep for a week or more in the fridge.

I would appreciate feedback -- both positive and negative -- and suggestions

[GoNz0]

sounds good, personally i like to slow cook ribs till the meat refuses to stay on the bone

[0iD]

I often add a good dollop of Marmalade to the glaze, for a bit of tang.

[Seraphina]

sounds good, personally i like to slow cook ribs till the meat refuses to stay on the bone

Yes, that's what I've been doing for some years....cook REALLY slow over many hours, but wrapped in foil? Try this, though, it is cooked open, no foil....it works well.

[pollaxe]

Sounds pretty damned good to me... May well have to give this a try one day although my culinary abilities don't extend much past toast.. I'm ok with a barbecue though..

[Moby-Dick]

I wrap the ribs in foil but slow cook over a couple of inches of water so they steam a little bit - works an absolute treat