Brendan's BBQ Ribs

Intro

In 2016 I did this crazy amazing thing and went on a 3 month round the world tour staying with people in the Koha library community. One of the incredibly hospitable homestays was with Brendan and Sonia in Portland. And we had BBQ ribs!

Ingredients

• Baby back pork ribs - 3 racks

Spice rub

• 1 part Lawry's seasoned salt
• 1/4 part white sugar
• 1/8 part McCormicks Montreal steak seasoning
• 1/8 part spice to your liking: eg cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander
• 1/8 - 1/4 chilli powder / cayenne / smoked paprika etc (ie a pepper)

Method
Combine rub ingredients, pat it 'in' to the ribs, leave to rest for about half hour (sweaty meat)

Put in your smoker or oven (indirect heat) for 135 degrees for about 3 hours. Scratch test (spice rub kind of set not flaky). Not  too much smoke - a kiss of smoke (3 fist sized chunks and briquettes - 135 degrees)

We cooked these on a Weber - Ceramic kamdo grill dome (see photo)

Remove from heat and then coat in sieved brown sugar. Sprinkle on 2 or 3 tblsps of liquid per rack: apple juice / peach juice / pineapple juice / ginger lemonade).

Wrap in tinfoil like a burrito, put back in heat ie oven 135 degrees for about an hour,  toothpick test to see it goes straight meat without tension

Remove from heat, divide into ribs.

Pork Ribs

Intro

Gilmour's wholesale grocery in NZ is the only place I have found that sells meaty ribs that worth the bother of cooking.  These are good to share with friends with a bit of banter to make the faffing around worth it.

Ingredients

• 3-4 racks of pork ribs
• 1.5 - 2 litres of coca cola
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup worcester suace
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tblsp English mustard
• 3 tblsp smokey paprika

Method

Melt all ingredients except the ribs and cola together in a saucepan for 5 minutes or so.

Cut racks of pork ribs into 2 or 3 rib portions. Stack into a slow cooker and just cover with coca-cola. Cook for 3 - 4 hours on high until tender.

Remove from slow cooker, coat on all sides with glaze and layer in a single layer in oven trays in the oven at 180 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes then glaze on each side and turn over, bake another 20 minutes glazing and turning again. After another 20 minutes remove from oven. (You might want to bbq them or grill them if you want a charred edge to them). 

Pork Belly

Spice Rub

• 2 teaspoons cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 3 teaspoons coarse salt

Roast spices in a heavy frying pan for 5-6 minutes. Grind together in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.

For the Pork

• Piece of pork belly
• Olive oil
• spice rub above
• veges: eg. approx: 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, 2 granny smiths

Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

To prepare the pork score pat it dry then score it with a stanley knife or other sharp knife; don't cut too deep. Rub the pork with olive oil, then rub the spice mix generously over the whole piece of meat - all sides and into the score marks if you can. 

Cut the onions in half, carrots into 3 pieces and other veges into large pieces. Place them in a roasting dish along with a cup or 2 of water. Place the pork on the vegetable bed and place in the hot oven.

Roast for 40 mins then drop the oven down to 160 degrees and roast slowly for at least 2 hours. The longer you roast the more fat is rendered out. If the skin is not well crackled well you can turn the oven up high for a while but watch it like a hawk.

Pork and Beans

Intro

I stumbled on Heller's Paprika and Cumin bacon in the supermarket a few months back and it is astoundingly good. It is dry and thick cut and very flavoursome.

I couldn't find a recipe for pork and beans so made this up tonight and it was actually fabulous. I didn't want to forget how I made it so here is the recipe. I might leave out the dried apricots next time but I will need to watch because the flavour balance was perfect.

Recipe

• 2 kg pork shoulder chops
• 2 teasp salt
• 3 teasps smoky paprika
• 1/2 cup flour
• oil
• 2 large onions
• 5 large cloves garlic
• 3 slices flavoursome streaky bacon
• 1/4 cup bourbon or brandy
• 1 generous teaspoon of molasses
• 8 dried apricots
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 tin red kidney beans
• 1 tin white beans
• 1 lemon

Bone the pork chops and discard the obvious fat and sinew. Chop into cubes.

Combine flour, salt and paprika and toss the meat in the flour mixture. Saute in batches in the oil until browned and place into a casserole dish. Once all the pork is done add the chopped onions, garlic and bacon (sliced into small pieces) to the pan and fry gently until onion is clear and bacon is browned. Add sliced apricots and cook a further 2 minutes. Tip in the bourbon or brandy, mollasses and a tin of crushed tomatoes. Add the beans and onion/tomato mix to the pork. Stir to combine. It should have just enough liquid to almost cover so top up with a little water if need be. If you add more than a cup of water add a beef stock cube.

Cook in a covered dish for 40 minutes or so. Just before serving squeeze in 1/2 a lemon, check seasoning and add more lemon and/or salt to taste.Serve with steamed brocolli and crusty bread.