Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe

Slow-cooked marinated baby back ribs

Cards on the table, I absolutely love ribs. I also have nothing but admiration for anyone who can cook them the “hardcore” way. You know, slowly smoked for hours and hours on a perfectly heated BBQ, perfectly marinated, pulling apart as you eat them. Only problem is, you need about 24 hours notice for that and I just don’t have that kind of organisation in my life. So these are the “it’s 3pm and I fancy ribs this evening” version. Plus they are baked in the oven, so won’t get spoiled by rain cancelling the BBQ. They are literally foolproof and work however you make the marinade.

You’ll need a large rack of baby back ribs for two people (or one rack per person if you love ribs as much as I do). Ask your butcher to remove the membrane on the back of the ribs if you can.

Store cupboard marinade: Lots of squirts of ketchup, honey, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, a couple of teaspoons garlic powder and a drizzle of xiao xing wine. Don’t worry about the quantities, and don’t worry if you are missing an ingredient. You just want a lovely, dark and slightly sticky sauce.

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5. Rub the ribs all over in the mixed sauce (save a bit of the sauce for later), pop them in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake them at 130C for 3-4 hours, basting both sides every hour (you will likely need to add a little bit of water to the pan to get the best bits off the bottom). Uncover the ribs for the last 15 minutes and baste with the leftover sauce from earlier. Once cooked, remove and leave to rest, wrapped in foil, for 15 minutes. Cut up and serve. The meat will be falling off the bone.

These are lovely served with a simple coleslaw and corn on the cob.

BBC Three Counties Radio presenter and cook, Nick Coffer