Slow Cooked Spare Ribs

Spare Ribs have always been a firm favourite of mine. There was a time, not too long ago, that myself and Ali would find ourselves in Judge Roy Beans every Friday for a rack of them. A rapidly expanding waistline may have curtailed my binge eating but my love for ribs will always live on. Many restaurants will cook their ribs overnight on a very low heat to break down any fibers and tenderise the meat but at home 4 to 5 hours should be enough. 

This sauce works brilliantly with the ribs but you may wish to add more chilli powder. The one I used is a tongue melting type I got in Vienna, even a quarter teaspoon may have been a little too much!

Serves 1 Glutton, 2 Hungry Hippos or 4 Dieters

1 Rack of Pork Ribs (1.2 - 1.5 KG)

For the dry rub:
1 tsp each of Chilli Flakes, Dried Thyme, Chinese Five Spice
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the sauce:
210g Tomato Passata
10g Honey
5g White Wine Vinegar
20g Dark Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Extra Hot Chilli Powder 

1. If the rack is too large for a baking tray cut it in half and put each half in a separate tray. Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub together and massage it into the meat for a few minutes. Cover each tray tightly with foil and put into a preheated 140 degree oven for 4 hours.

2. Meanwhile make the sauce. Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. After the 4 hours are up, remove the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Brush a little of the sauce over the ribs and place back in the oven, uncovered, at 180 degrees for ten minutes. Remove and cut the ribs apart. Serve covered in the sauce with some chips and salad or, like me, with a ratatouille.

Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

Slow Cooked Beef Ribs

To me, there is nothing more flavourful than a slow cooked "cheap" cut of Beef or Pork. Ox Tail, Tongue, Heart, Cheek and Ribs all seem to be making a big comeback along with the usual favourites like Brisket. The only problem with these cuts is that they take alot of cooking to become tender but once you achieve that, to me, the flavour far surpasses even the tenderest Fillet Steak. Don't be put off by long cooking times though, generally they can be cooked with very little intervention.


Beef Ribs are the pinnacle of the "cheap cuts" in my opinion. They have the perfect ratio of bone, fat and meat which creates the most unbelievable flavour and will satisfy anybody. Best of all, Beef Ribs are very cheap and should cost no more than €1.50 per person. The Sauce in this dish really adds to the big flavour of the meat. The mixture of the Red Wine, Garlic and Tomato is a winner with any red meat and works brilliantly with Shanks of Lamb too.


Serves 4


4tbsp Rapeseed Oil
4 Beef Ribs (Rubbed with Salt and Pepper)
2 Carrots (roughly chopped)
2 Celery Sticks (roughly chopped)
2 Onions (roughly chopped)
1 Full Head of Garlic (cut in half horizontally)
1/2 Bottle of Red Wine (I used a Chianti)
500g Tomato Passata
1tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Beef Stock
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve:
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potatoes

Preheat Oven to 140 degress celcius and ensure that your chosen cooking vessel has a tightly fitting lid!

1. Heat the Oil in a Saucepan or Casserole until very hot. Add the seasoned Ribs and brown all over for 5-10 minutes. Add the Carrot, Celery, Onion and Garlic. Season and continue to cook on high heat for 5-7 mins, stirring all the time. 

2. Add the Wine and scrape the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck on. Add the Passata, Oregano and Bay Leaf, stir well and bring back to the boil. Put on the lid and put into the oven. Cook for approx 5 hours, checking on it every couple of hours and adding a little boiling water if necessary (it shouldn't be!)

3. Remove the Meat, cover in tinfoil and set aside to rest while you finish the sauce. Add some Beef Stock to the Pot (if necessary) and reduce down for about 5 minutes. Put through a sieve and squash through as much of the carrot and garlic as you can. Reduce the strained sauce until you have the desired consistency (i like it a little thick) Check for seasoning and add a little Salt/Pepper if necessary.

4. Serve the Meat on a bed of Mashed Potato with some Roasted Vegetables (Roughly chopped Carrot and Sweet Potato, roasted in some Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Oregano) and pour over the sauce.

Gigi somehow snuck into the pic!