Living in London makes BBQ-ing particularly hard. So few people have decent outdoor space, so unless you’re going to use a disposable in the park, you’re going to struggle. The fact that the weather hasn’t exactly been playing ball so far this summer hasn’t really helped that either, but hey. I’ve already posted a seriously good Veggie Pulled ‘Pork’ recipe if you’re interested in something else you can do on your stove top. I’ve been meaning to try my hand at oven BBQ for a while, but never really have the excuse. I’ve wanted to do some form of Sriracha Pork Ribs for a long while, but with about 95% of butchers near where I live not even stocking pork it can make things quite tricky too. Even the local supermarket only had some fairly poor pre-packaged ribs.
My love for ribs stems back to my childhood. I remember being taken to TGI Fridays for a treat and getting seriously excited about their baby back ribs. In hindsight, they were pretty poor ribs, but as a kid it’s not exactly something you think about, or even realise. The sticky sauce, the way it covers your fingers and face, leaving a smile shape on your cheeks, the smokiness of the meat and the way it falls off the bone all left the younger me clamoring for more. I don’t eat anywhere near as much meat as I used to, and when I do it tends to be when I eat out. It feels like there are a million places you can get ribs now, from the likes of TGI all the way through to the BBQ demi-gods Smokestak, but it’s not something I’ve really tried to do at home. This is thanks, in part, to never owning a proper BBQ of my own. When I eventually get some outside space I deem suitable enough, I fully intend to get some form of smoking equipment. In fact, I’m already trying to convince my dad that he should get one for their place up on Mull, especially with such incredible access to game and fish.
The knife used to cut these ribs up was kindly provided by the people across at Steamer Trading Cookshop, a family owned shop which first opened in Alfriston, East Sussex in 1985. They’ve managed to since expand to an impressive 41 stores throughout the UK. They kindly sent me one of their (exclusive) stock of Yaxell Knives, the well reputed Japanese knife brand are a favourite of chefs the world over, with the 25.5cm blade being perfect for any professional kitchen.
You should know by now, that if I can put sriracha in something, I will. Exhibit a, b and c (and these are just the ones on the blog) if you want more ideas.
- 1 Full Rack of Ribs (I used baby back simply due to availability. These would work great with St Louis)
- **For the Rub**
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp. salt
- ½tsp. black pepper, crushed
- ¼tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼tsp. onion salt
- **For the Sauce**
- X BBQ sauce, either from a bottle or homemade
- 2tsp sriracha (more if you want a bit of an extra kick)
- ½tbsp. honey
- Pat dry the ribs with a paper towel or similar.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the rub, then cover both sides of the ribs. Make sure it’s well covered and rubbed in, then tightly rap the rack in foil. Leave flat in a fridge overnight (or for 8 hours).
- The next day, heat the oven to 165C (145C fan assisted), place the ribs on a baking tray and bake in the center of the oven for 2-2.5 hours (depending on the size of the ribs). At this point, the ribs can be left for up to 24 hours before the next step, so it’s perfect to do ahead of a BBQ if you’re expecting guests.
- Remove from the oven, and while they are cooling enough for you to unwrap the foil, whisk together the honey, BBQ sauce and sriracha. Discard the foil and juices before generously slathering the ribs in the prepared glaze, using a brush. If cooking on a BBQ, place each side face down for approx. 6-8 minutes. If cooking under a grill simply stick them underneath a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until it starts charring but before it goes completely black.
- Serve as a rack or separate using a sharp chef’s knife.
*This post was created in partnership with Steamer Cookshop
I don’t even like ribs but oh LORD do these look incredible!
They were really, really good. And thanks!
you’re very welcome!