Hairy Bikers BBQ Ribs Recipe

Oven-roasted, this Hairy Bikers BBQ ribs recipe gives pork spare ribs a cayenne dry rub and a sticky homemade sauce. And the Meat Feasts version feeds 4 in about 5¼ hours, at roughly 1,000 calories a portion by my estimate.

Spare ribs “can be cooked in the oven if that’s easier for you and they still taste epic”, say Si and Dave. But the clever bit is the rub, since 3 tablespoons are held back to season the barbecue sauce too.

The sauce goes through a sieve before it touches the pork, to get rid of the garlic “that might otherwise burn”, as they put it. Then it’s brushed on only for the last 45 minutes, because the aim is “a thick, sweet, smoky coating”.

Hairy Bikers BBQ Ribs

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Roasting Cuisine:British American Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time:1 hour 20 minutesCook time:3 hours 45 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time:5 hours 15 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:1000 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A paprika, mustard and cayenne mix goes into the ribs for an hour’s standing, then they roast low over a little water for 3 hours. After that comes a brushing of ketchup, honey and cider vinegar glaze and 45 more minutes in the oven.

Ingredients

For the dry rub

• 25g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp oregano

For the ribs

• 2kg rindless, well-trimmed pork spare ribs
• 100ml cold water, plus extra if needed

For the barbecue sauce

• 200ml ketchup
• 75ml cider vinegar
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100ml water

prime30 days freeMissing an ingredient?✓ Free fast delivery   ✓ Cancel anytimeTry Prime freeUnderlined ingredients link to Amazon UK. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

1. Make the rub: Mix all the rub ingredients in a bowl. Then put 3 tablespoons of it in a medium saucepan to use in the barbecue sauce later.
2. Rub the ribs: Put the pork on a board and massage the rest of the rub into both sides. Then place it on a low metal rack in a large roasting tin and leave for 1 hour, or overnight if you have time.
3. Slow roast: Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Then add 100ml of cold water to the tin and cook for 3 hours, or until it’s very soft and almost falling off the bones.
4. Keep it moist: Turn the ribs every hour, adding a little extra water if the base of the tin dries out. And cover them with foil if they begin to dry out.
5. Make the sauce: Meanwhile, add all the sauce ingredients, including the water, to the pan with the reserved rub. Then bring it to the boil, stirring, before simmering for 5 minutes until thickened, stirring regularly.
6. Sieve it: Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl to remove the garlic. Then pour about half into a serving dish and set it aside.
7. Glaze: Brush the ribs liberally on both sides with the sauce left in the bowl. Then put them back in the oven for 45 minutes.
8. Rest and serve: Leave the ribs to rest for 10 minutes, then carve. Serve with the reserved sauce for dipping or drizzling.

FAQs

Can you finish them on the barbecue?

Yes, they still get the full 3 hours in the oven, and you light the barbecue about 45 minutes before that time is up. Then the sauced ribs grill over a low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, turned and brushed every 5 to 8 minutes.

Si and Dave warn not to leave the pork for a minute, because the marinade could burn. So be ready to move the rack up if the coating starts catching.

Where does the Mississippi name come from?

A 2013 forum copy calls them Mississippi-style, and I think the name comes from their 2012 BBC series Mississippi Adventure. In British Classics they write about filming “our ‘Mississippi’ series”, and their BBQ pulled pork dates from the same trip.

A Food Network UK clip labelled season 1, episode 3 also shows them making ribs in Memphis, which sits on the river. But I can’t confirm the TV ribs are this recipe, and copies posted in 2012 and 2013 say 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3. So this page follows the Meat Feasts figure of 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3 instead.

Are they too spicy?

There are 2 teaspoons of cayenne in the rub, and some of it goes into the sauce, so the heat builds twice. And a 2012 Mumsnet thread on an earlier online copy has “Too Hot” in its title, because the poster wanted to tone it down.

For a milder batch, I’d halve the cayenne and keep the paprika as it is, which is my adjustment rather than theirs. Because the meat sits in the rub before its slow-cooked roast, it’s easier to cut the heat at the start than fix it later.

How is the Mums Know Best version different?

Julia Vinson, a Suffolk cook with a Texan dad, boils her pork BBQ ribs for 3 to 5 minutes first, once they’re separated. Then they’re marinated in a ketchup, soy and tomato sauce thickened with cornflour, for at least an hour and preferably 2. After that, they bake at 150°C/Gas 2 for 1 hour, or go on the barbecue wrapped in foil.

That one serves 6 with Boston baked beans, and Si and Dave write that it’s “sure to tickle a Texan”. For a British take on the beans, their Veggie Feasts homemade baked beans simmer dried haricots in a treacle tomato sauce.

What goes with them, and do they do beef ribs?

From the same book, their Meat Feasts coleslaw with celeriac and apple is a fresh side against the sticky glaze. And any spare sauce suits their British Classics BBQ pulled pork, since that recipe lists barbecue sauce to serve without giving one.

Their beef short ribs in Meat Feasts are a braise instead, seared first, then simmered for 2 hours in red wine and stock. Then the sauce is finished with bourbon and maple syrup until syrupy, and poured over the ribs.