Between the extra hours available, the festive feeling in the air, and the cold; this long weekend is basically begging us to get a little experimental in the kitchen.
Rather than turning to the cuts of meat we cook-and-repeat, ask your butcher for something a little different and slow your cooking right down to reap the rewards of a rich, flavoursome meal that warms you up from the inside out.
Pickled Ginger and Sweet Chilli Glazed Lamb Ribs
Serves 4
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours, 40 minutes
Ingredients
1.5kg lamb short rib racks
1 tbsp finely chopped pickled ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup, plus 2 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce
Chinese greens, rice and extra sweet chilli sauce, to serve
*Lamb short rib racks are also known as breasts of lamb. Ask your butcher to bone them across ways to remove excess cartilage, so that once cooked they can easily be cut into individual ribs.
Method
- Mix the lamb with the ginger, soy and ½ cup of sweet chilli sauce. Place into a container, refrigerate and marinate for 3 hours, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the lamb in a baking dish or oven tray in a single layer. Pour over any remaining marinade. Cover tightly with several layers of foil and place in the oven for 2 ½ hours or until the meat is very tender.
- Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C. Place the racks on a chopping board, allowing them to cool slightly. Using a large knife, cut the racks into individual ribs.
- Transfer the ribs to a flat baking sheet lined with baking paper. Liberally brush the remaining sweet chilli sauce over the ribs and bake for 5-10 minutes or until sticky and glazed. Serve with Chinese broccoli, rice and some sweet chilli sauce.
Leftovers – Try shredding the lamb and warming it through with leftover sauce. Stir through hot pasta and top with grated Pecorino cheese and chopped parsley.
Tips
- Be sure to wrap the ribs with lots of foil and seal tightly when cooking. You don’t want any steam escaping.
- It’s easier (and tidier) to cut the racks into ribs when they are cold. Simply chill them after they come out of the oven. Cut into individual ribs, warm in a moderate oven then proceed with step 4.
Recipe courtesy MLA
