Lamb ribs with miso, treacle and dark ale

Name: Lamb ribs with miso, treacle and dark ale
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10 as finger food
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 16 lamb ribs; 2 tsp chilli powder; 2 tbsp white miso paste; 1 1/2 tbsp salt flakes; 3 tbsp treacle (or honey); 120ml cider vinegar, plus extra; 250ml dark ale (any flavourful beer will work); 1/2 daikon, finely sliced; 1 tbsp castor sugar; 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped; 1 bunch red radishes, cut in half with some stalk left on; 

April 29, 2015

Rib-sticking party starters: Lamb with miso, treacle and dark ale.Bonnie Savage

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:8-10 as finger food

These lamb ribs are darkly sticky and delicious, and perfect for entertaining a crowd. The treacle and miso enrich and add depth of flavour to the ribs, while the vinegar cuts through the fat. There's no need to marinate these. You'll get super intense flavour as the ingredients cook down and meld in the oven. You could also use pork ribs.

Ingredients

16 lamb ribs
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp white miso paste
1 1/2 tbsp salt flakes
3 tbsp treacle (or honey)
120ml cider vinegar, plus extra
250ml dark ale (any flavourful beer will work)
1/2 daikon, finely sliced
1 tbsp castor sugar
1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped
1 bunch red radishes, cut in half with some stalk left on

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional.
2. Add the ribs to a large ovenproof dish with the chilli, miso and one tablespoon of salt and toss through. Drizzle over the treacle and pour over the vinegar and beer. Cover with baking paper and foil and seal well. Place in the oven for one hour.
3. Uncover the ribs, skim the fat off if desired, and cook for a further 30 minutes until dark and crispy but still with some juices left in the tray. You can colour them up further by turning on the oven grill for a few minutes, but just watch carefully to make sure they don't burn.
4. Meanwhile, add the daikon to a medium bowl, sprinkle over the sugar and half a tablespoon of salt and toss through. Set aside for 30 minutes.
5. Drain the liquid off the daikon and toss with the mint and a splash of cider vinegar.
6. Arrange the ribs on a serving platter, scatter over the daikon and radishes and serve.
Want more? To serve this as a main course, just increase the quantities to allow six to eight ribs per person and accompany with steamed rice.