Ribs… They have to be one of the most fun, yet most messy things to eat. But that’s the whole point right? Haha! Many people associate ribs with take-away and unhealthy food but actually, they can be just as good for you as any other cut of meat. It all depends on the quality of the animal/meat you use,  what you cook them in and what you eat them with.

Meat Quality – whether you’re cooking pork, beef or lamb ribs always ensure your meat is free-range and grass fed where possible. Local farmers markets are usually a great place to source these. I use Backfatters Heritage Free Range Pork in this recipe.

What you cook them with – avoid cooking the ribs in sauces that are high in sugar (be it added sugar or natural sugars like honey and maple syrup).

What you eat them with – opt for a homemade mash and fresh salad instead of the typical chips that have been deep fried (usually in hydrogenated, poor quality vegetable oil).

Recipe Type: GF, DF, Paleo

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Ribs:

• ~1kg free range pork ribs (or beef or lamb if you prefer)
• 1 C passata (or crushed tomatoes)
• 1 C water or bone broth
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1-2 t ground cumin
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 4 t smoked paprika
• 1 t dried rosemary, or 1 sprig fresh
• salt and pepper to season

Slaw:

• 1 small head of red cabbage (or 1/4 large head), shredded
• 2 medium carrots, julienned
• 1/2 capsicum, julienned
• 3 C kale leaves, thinly chopped
• 2 T Mayonnaise
• Juice of 2 Lemon

Cauliflower or Broccauli Mash:

• See recipe for Broccauli Mash

Method:

For the Ribs:

1. Preheat oven to 180degC
2. Place all ingredients except the ribs into a deep casserole dish, roasting pot or Dutch oven. Give them a bit of a mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the ribs and generously coat with the sauce.
4. Place the lid on the pot/casserole dish (or cover with foil). Cook for 2-2.5 hours.
5. Serve hot with slaw and mash.

For the Slaw:

1. Chop/prepare vegetables as described above (shredded/julienned/finely chopped). Place in a large salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the Mayonnaise and lemon juice together.
3. Pour Mayo mixture over the salad and toss to coat/combine.
4. Serve

For the Mash:

Prepare cauliflower or broccauli mash per recipe here.