Sticky Orange Ribs

Lip-smackingly good!

Do you also love the flavour of marinated ribs, roasted to juicy perfection? The good news is that you don’t need to go to a restaurant to enjoy mouthwatering ribs. The aroma of this marinade is really special – the orange juice is a flavourful base, and you can’t go wrong with fresh ginger and soy sauce for a lovely flavour combination. Chinese five spice is really delicious, but alternatively, you can use half the amount of ground cumin or add it to taste. The flavour will be quite different but will still be aromatic and so delicious. Allow the sauce to simmer to develop the flavours and to thicken the mixture a bit – it’s just easier to brush onto the meat. There’s not much more that we can say about this recipe by Heleen Meyer, to convince you to make it, except that you must try it soon! It’s absolutely delicious. And you can even braai the ribs over the coals if you prefer – see the tips. 

Sticky orange ribs

Recipe by Heleen Meyer for her cookbook Make five/Maak vyf

Serves 4 – 6

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

60 ml (¼ cup) grated fresh ginger

200 ml fresh orange juice

7,5 ml (½ tbsp) finely grated orange rind

125 ml (½ cup) tomato sauce or tomato puree

60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce

30 ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

30 ml (2 tbsp) Chinese five spice

60 ml (¼ cup) honey

1,5 kg pork ribs

1. Place all the ingredients, except the meat, in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium temperature. Reduce the heat and simmer without a lid for 10 minutes. Season with a little extra honey if you used tomato puree.

2. Brush two-thirds of the sauce over the ribs and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

3. Place the ribs in a single layer on a large baking tray or in a shallow oven dish and roast for 30 minutes. Turn them over and brush with the remaining sauce. Roast for another 15 minutes or until cooked, but still juicy. The meat doesn’t need any extra salt, as the soy sauce is already salty and the other ingredients add lots of flavour.

4. Serve hot with lemon wedges and veggies of your choice.

Tips:

1. This sauce also works really well with chicken portions. Try it on chicken wings to serve as a delicious pre-dinner snack, but only roast for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

2. The ribs can also be braaied over medium coals. Turn them regularly so that the meat cooks evenly and the marinade does not burn.

Original article from the South African Association of Retired Persons.

Image by Neville Lockhart