Smokey Pork Ribs
In episode 6 of “Around the World with Manu” I made proper soul food ribs with Sam of Sam’s Soul Food Restaurant and Bar in The Bronx, and I seriously think they are the best ribs I’ve ever eaten.
Sam showed me how he makes his triple cooked smokey pork ribs — sticky, sweet, smokey and melting off the bone — and while wouldn’t tell me all the ingredients in his special marinade I think my version is pretty close!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 kg meaty, fatty pork ribs, sinew removed (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 3 tsp table salt
- ½ tsp crushed oregano leaves
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chicken seasoning
For the marinade
- 1 litre pork or chicken stock
- 100 g rendered pork or duck fat
- 1 Tbsp table salt
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 100 g crushed tinned tomatoes
For the sauce
- Reserved pan juices
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 brown onion, shredded
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 serrano chilli, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp smokey paprika
- 100 ml tomato sauce
- 60 ml orange juice
- 125 ml apple cider vinegar
- 40 g worcestershire sauce
- 60 g molasses, honey or golden syrup
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
For the sweet yam mash
- 600 g orange sweet potato or yams, peeled
- 100 g salted butter
- 60 ml maple syrup
- A few sprigs of parsley, to garnish
METHOD
- Place ribs in a large roasting pan. Combine table salt, oregano, garlic powder and chicken seasoning in a small bowl and sprinkle over both sides of the ribs.
- Combine marinade ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Pour over ribs and refrigerate for 8 hours, or preferably overnight. Remove ribs from the fridge an hour or so before you are going to cook them so they can come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 150°C. Cover ribs with a sheet of baking paper and seal pan with foil. Bake for 3 hours or until tender but still not quite falling apart — you want to keep them together to chargrill.
- After 3 hours remove pan from the oven and drain the cooking juices into a large saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 7 – 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third.
- Add the sauce ingredients (oil through brown sugar), bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 12 – 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick and easily coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
- Heat a large chargrill or BBQ over a very high heat. Brush the ribs with a thin layer of sauce and grill on both sides for 4 – 5 minutes or until nicely caramelised. This step will impart a delicious smoked flavour to your ribs but if you choose to skip it you may.
- Return ribs to the roasting pan and generously brush over remaining marinade. Return to the oven, uncovered, to cook for a further hour or until very tender and falling off the bone.
- To make the sweet yam mash, place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 10 – 12 minutes or until very tender. Drain through a colander and return to the saucepan. Mash well then add the butter and maple syrup and whip with a wooden spoon until butter is melted and mash is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, cut ribs into pieces and place onto warm serving plates with spoonfuls of sweet yam mash and a little bit of parsley to garnish.
Don’t miss all my destination tips from my time in the US!
