Ingredients
- 2 pounds spare ribs
- 1/2 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 7 tbsp ketchup
- 3 tbsp steak sauce
- 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp ginger
- 4 tbsp water
- tabasco
Directions
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I’ve finely minced a small onion and grated a decent sized garlic clove.
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The first one, well, I think it’s a global one; Heinz Ketchup. The bottle on the right is called HP steak sauce, it has a very distinctive taste. The guys here love it. It’s like a mix of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce with a little extra hint of something. If you don’t have steak sauce or something similar, just replace it with more ketchup and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce.
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I’ve heated a tbsp olive oil and sauteed the onions over low heat. After about 4 minutes I’ve added the garlic and gave everything 3 more minutes.
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Add 1 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1 tsp mustard powder and 1/2 a tsp smoky paprika powder. Cook the spices for about a minute to get the flavors going. Cooking spices really brings out their flavor, but never cook them for too long or they might turn bitter. About 30 to 60 seconds is all they need.
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Spoon in 7 tbsp ketchup, 3 tbsp steak sauce (or ketchup with a splash of Worcestershire sauce), 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce and 2 tbsp soy sauce.
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I like them a bit spicy so I’ve added some tabasco, about 5 shakes. You can leave it out or use a bit of cayenne in stead. I like my ribs pretty sweet so I’ve also added 3 tbsp brown sugar, just keep tasting after each tbsp to see if it’s sweet enough for you. Add 4 tbsp water and give everything a good stir.
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Bring to a boil and simmer, over very low heat, for 15 minutes. The sauce starts out fairly red, but gets a deeper, almost brown color during simmering.
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Divide the sauce over two bowls, cover one of the bowls with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. This will be your basting sauce.
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Give every rib its own wide piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Brush all sides of the spare rib with the marinade.
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Just put them in the fridge for a full day, if that won’t flavor them, nothing will!
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Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
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You can place them on a cookie sheet, but I prefer putting them in a large roasting tray. If there happens to be a crack in the aluminum foil somewhere, a roasting tray is easier to clean for me.
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I usually give them 2 1/2 hours at 350F (175c), but my ribs weren’t very thick this time ’round so I took them out after 2 hours. You can do this faster, but I like to cook them slowly; they become real succulent that way. Genuine fall-off-the-bone kinda meat. Meat so tender you can cut it with a fork!
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They’ll be great when you eat them like this, but just nice and brown isn’t enough for me. I want them perfect. For me the perfect ribs have a slightly roasted top layer. So I turn on the grill in my oven (as high as it goes), and grab the extra cup of sauce I’ve put in the fridge yesterday. Now baste the ribs with it. Don’t be afraid to use a generous amount.
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Place them under a hot grill for roughly 5 minutes. Just to get a bit of crunch on top. These ribs are so good! I know I’ve said that a dozen times by now, but they really are. They hit all the right spots. I like to serve them with roasted or mashed potatoes and a salad on the side.