Succulent ribs on the braai, what could be better after a long week in the office? So, pull out the braai, weber, grill or even if you call it the BBQ and get ready for some delicious grub!
The secret is to keep things simple and hassle-free, and there is nothing simpler than a good old fashioned rib braai. Ribs don’t take as long as you think to cook, making them the perfect snack while waiting for the rest of the food to cook.
Before we share one of our favourite recipes with you, let’s consider what makes a great bbq ribs marinade. The great thing about ribs is that you can tailor them to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences. Some like them hot and spicy, some like them sweet and sticky, and some just like them smokey from the braai with a touch of salt – what type of ribs person are you?
The trick to making more-ish succulent ribs is a decent rib marinade recipe and a batch of meaty ribs. The only problem you’ll have when hosting a rib braai is that regardless of how much you have, there never seems to be enough for everyone (well, third and fourth servings, that is). Without digressing too much, let’s leap into SA marinades, followed by a great rib braai recipe!
South African marinades
You can almost taste the different cultures that come through in South African food. It truly embraces the ‘rainbow nation’ concept, dipping into different cultural cooking pots, taking aspects of them and then using them to create and improve heritage filled recipes from Ouma’s kitchen.
There are so many marinade variations to choose from when making a rib braai, making it tricky to pick just one BBQ ribs marinade. In our quest for creating the most delicious rib braai dish, we have come across a delectable array of options. We’ve found recipes for honey glazed ribs with whiskey marinade, honey and garlic marinade, Thai BBQ ribs with peanut sauce, BBQ and Maple with brown sugar marinade, and so much more!
Some recipes call for the ribs to be boiled before putting them on the braai and others suggest leaving the ribs to lie in the marinade overnight. Both are excellent options to ensure the rib meat is tender and falls off the bone. Leaving the meat in the marinade overnight infuses it with flavour, tenderises it and helps to keep the moisture in when cooking over the hot coals.
Select your marinade according to your tastes and preferences before you get started.
What makes the perfect rib braai
Over time marinades have evolved, and now when people talk about a rib braai, the marinade can be as decadent or as simplistic as you like. Obviously, braais are a staple South African food source! When nutritionists talk about your five a day, a true South African knows it’s really ’a braai a day’, and for that, all you need is the perfect marinade, a bag of briquettes and of course, the address of the best butcher’s shop to buy the ribs!
Pineapple Sticky Ribs
Below we have chosen to share one of our top rib braai recipes! Enjoy!
What you need for the marinade:
- 1.3 kg pork back ribs, separated and fat trimmed if preferred
- 1 can of Koo pineapple pieces 440g, drained
- 1 cup of Koo Smooth Apricot jam
- ¼ cup of Worcester sauce
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Cooking the Ribs
Follow the simple cooking instructions below.
- Stir the pineapple pieces, apricot jam, Worcester sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Do not pour over the ribs yet. This marinade is your secret ninja only to be used later.
- Drizzle some olive oil over the ribs and sprinkle generously with Ina Paarmans Braai and Grill spice. Cover the ribs with heavy-duty aluminium foil and seal well before popping the ribs on the braai grid – simply ignore them for two hours. Don’t be tempted to open the foil before the time is up; you want your ribs cooked through and tender. Now is the time to sit back and relax and enjoy that beer.
- When the two hours are up, open the foil and finish cooking them on the braai grid; using a marinade brush, coat the ribs generously with the pineapple marinade on each side. You only need to sear the sauce, so stick to cooking the ribs for approximately three to five minutes on each side.
- Leave the ribs to rest for five to ten minutes before eating. This will give the now caramelised marinade time to cool and prevent you from burning your fingers.
Serve these ribs with chunks of fresh garlic or flatbread, sweetcorn on the cob and a caesar salad. You could also go the more sophisticated route by serving your pineapple ribs with spiced butternut, feta salad and sticky rice.
Turn to FinGlobal for more than just recipes
At FinGlobal, we know how much you love our recipes, but we’ve got more than a sumptuous rib braai recipe up our sleeve. We’re well versed in all things emigration related too. We want nothing more than to assist you with your financial and tax emigration so that your relocation runs smoothly and that your legal obligations back in South African are well handled. With ten years of experience behind us, we are confident that we’re just the team to help you. For help and guidance, all you have to do is contact us. You can give us a call on +27 28 312 2764 or email us at info@finglobal.com today.