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.