Caravan Cook: Ribs

Ribs have long been a popular dish with my family. An extremely versatile meat, there are boundless ways to prepare them: think pork ribs; braised beef ribs and grilled lamb ribs – think minimal washing up, and best of all, think delicious!

Spicy Honey Mustard Ribs
You may use either the American-style sheets of pork ribs (baby back ribs) or the individual pork ribs.

If using the baby back ribs, check to see if there is a membrane on the back of the ribs. If there is, remove it, otherwise the ribs may be tough when they are cooked.

To remove the membrane simply place ribs, meaty side down, on a flat surface. Using a fingernail, loosen a little of the membrane along the end of the last rib bone.

Grasp the membrane firmly with some paper towel (to ensure a good grip) and holding the rib bones down with your other hand, pull the membrane away. 

For each of the times that I have prepared this recipe, I used a variety of mustards ranging from Dijon to sundried tomato. Each flavour variation will give you a different end result, with one thing in common – they all taste great.  

The following quantities will serve four (approximately).

1kg pork ribs of your choice

1 cup prepared mustard
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
1 teaspoon cumin flakes (ground is optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, grated

Combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Thoroughly coat both sides of ribs with mustard rub mixture. Let the ribs stand for about a quarter of an hour to allow flavours to infuse the ribs.

To cook, you can use either a Weber barbecue, everyday barbecue, camp oven over some hot coals or a grill plate over the fire (added bonus of a smoky flavour to your ribs), or even the oven in your caravan – you are spoilt for choice.

If cooking in the oven, preheat to 180°C. Place a pan of water on the bottom shelf of your oven and put the ribs, meaty side up, on the middle shelf.

Whichever method you choose to use, brush ribs with the rub a few times during the cooking process. Refrain from using the rub during the last 15 minutes of cooking because the glaze will have an uncooked flavour to it.

Cooking time will depend on what sort of ribs you are using, the thickness of the ribs and how you are cooking them – I would advise to just cook until they are tender.

To serve, if you are preparing baby back ribs, cut each sheet in half and let the diner decide whether or not they want them cut into individual ribs.

Southern Braised Ribs
Braising is certainly a different way of preparing ribs.

I know the list of ingredients seems long for travelling so a handy hint is to prepare the sauce at home and transport it in a well sealed container in your chiller or fridge until you need it.

1kg beef ribs

1 small onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 cups red wine
1½ cups tomato sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons chilli powder
2 tablespoons molasses (or honey, but you will lose some of the flavour)
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon chilli sauce

Place sauce ingredients in a large saucepan or camp oven and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes before adding the beef ribs to the sauce. Cook ribs until the meat is tender – the sauce should have thickened to a glaze at the end of the cooking time.

If this hasn’t happened, remove ribs from the pan and boil the sauce until it has thickened.

Then return the ribs to the pan and cook for a further few minutes.

Serve the braised ribs with fluffy mashed potatoes or on their own.

Apricot Lamb Ribs

I find that the vinegar in the glaze cuts through any ‘fatty’ taste found in Apricot Lamb Ribs, and the fruitiness of the apricot partners well with lamb.

1kg lamb ribs (riblets)

1 small tin apricot nectar
½ cup sugar
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup white wine or water
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 shallots (white and green part), finely sliced

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan (not aluminium because of vinegar), bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about half an hour. Allow sauce to cool.

Brush both sides of ribs with glaze, reserving the rest to use as a side sauce. Allow ribs to stand in the glaze for at least 15 minutes. You can pop the glazed, uncooked ribs into the fridge overnight for a fuller flavour.

Cook ribs, as per cooking instructions for Spicy Honey Mustard Ribs, until Apricot Glazed Ribs are tender.

Serve with a bowl of the glaze for dipping.