Dr Pepper Ribs

Do you think that people are either sticky rib or saucy rib people? No reason you couldn't be both or indeed neither. Personally I am a sticky rib girl. In my experience they pack a bit more flavour than the 'sauce everywhere' type. Having said this until I do my 'Man v food', eat my way round the US tour, I am not qualified to discuss what makes ribs great. But for us brits, who's auntie Beril didn't hand down a family recipe, we have to start somewhere. *

This is my first attempt to find the perfect rib recipe and I won't give up, oh no I will not give up till I do! I should resist saying 'whats the worst that can happen' but, well I didn't .

3 small or 2 large pork ribs
1.5 litres Dr Pepper
2 star anise

whole allspice berries

GLAZE-

200 ml DrPepper

6 tbsp soft brow sugar
6 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp ground allspice

This recipe WILL NOT work with diet Dr Pepper - its all about the sugar

- Heat the oven to 160 C/140 C fan/gas 3. Put the ribs flesh side down in a large roasting tin, in a single layer
-Pour over the Dr Pepper, add the spices and pop in the oven for 2 hours
-Put all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until thick and syrupy. this took a while so get it going as soon as ribs are in
-Remove the ribs from the oven and pour juice away.
-I had 2 ribs so decided to cook one in the oven and BBQ the other. Turn the oven up to 200 C/180 C fan/gas 6. turn the ribs flesh side up and baste with the glaze. If using the oven roast for 30 minutes and baste again half way through cooking and if barbecuing baste as you turn.


    Kitchen towel at the ready - fingers steady

The different cooking methods produced slightly different results. The oven baked were a little juicier and the barbecued ribs had that charcoal flavour. There wasn't alot in it though. He who likes his meats cooked to the brink of powderisation was all for the barbecued method. I would say that it did give them the edge flavour wise but wanted to used the remaining glaze to dip.

Time taken     2 hours 40 mins
Effort     2/5
End result 3.5/5

* Sorry auntie Beril, you make a banging corned beef hash and you couldn't eat ribs with your dentures anyway, so I apologise ( please don't tell my mum )