Remote-controlled ribs

In Brisbane recently, I met chef Andrew Evans, an American who used to work in Australia but now has two restaurants back home called The BBQ Joint. While enjoying a drink together, we discussed his distinctive American style of barbecue and he told me about the amazing BBQ Guru.

This small gadget has a fan that attaches to the bottom of your barbecue. It controls the temperature so you can cook your barbecue meats slowly, which helps release maximum flavour. But here's the incredible bit - an app allows you to control the Guru from your phone, as Evans demonstrated, adjusting his barbecue temperature from three suburbs away. This ribs recipe can be cooked several days before you light the barbie.

Slow-cooking the ribs in advance in the oven ensures they will be tender and succulent on the day. Once you have the fennel slaw made, there is very little to do when guests arrive.

FENNEL SLAW

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1½ tbsp fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 egg yolks

4 spring onions, sliced thinly

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally

¼ cup loosely packed celery leaves

2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced crosswise

1 tbsp fennel fronds, chopped

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 firm, crisp apple (such as Pink Lady, Gala or Granny Smith), julienned

Sea salt

Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, tarragon, lemon juice and yolks in a blender and blend until emulsified. Put aside to dress salad later. Place remaining salad ingredients in a bowl and dress well, season with salt, taste and serve.

Serves 6

SLOW-COOKED AMERICAN RIBS

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp hot paprika plus 1 tsp for dusting

2 cups flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

250ml fino sherry

200ml extra-virgin olive oil

5kg American pork ribs, half plate

3 lemons

Heat oven to 110C. Place paprika, half the parsley, garlic, sherry and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth to make marinade. Rub the ribs well with the marinade, saving 200 millilitres for basting. Place the ribs in a deep roasting dish, cover with baking paper and then foil. Bake for 3 hours. Remove from oven and test a rib by squeezing the meat. If it has a small amount of give, it's ready. You don't want the meat to fall away from the bone or it will be hard to grill on the barbecue. Let ribs cool, then place in the fridge to firm up. When you're ready to eat, heat barbecue. Lightly brush ribs with marinade, place them on the grill and leave for a few minutes, then baste again and turn over. Grill and baste until they are charred and hot. Serve with a lemon cheek, a sprinkle of the remaining parsley and a pinch of hot paprika.

Serves 6