Digging the ribs

AS summer fades, it's time for one last barbecue -- so bring on the ribs and cornbread, with a sweet side of strawberry salad

Stuart O'Keeffe

September is here and it's your last chance to have a barbecue. I love ribs and with this recipe, you can cook them indoors and finish them on the barbecue.

And don't forget you can't have ribs without cornbread! The spinach, feta and strawberry salad provides a great contrast.

Barbecue ribs

Ingredients:

>2 slabs baby back ribs (3lbs)

>Salt and pepper

For the barbecue sauce:

>480ml tomato ketchup

>120ml water

>90ml apple cider vinegar

>110g brown sugar

>2 tbsp yellow mustard

>1 tsp cayenne powder

Method:

>Preheat oven to 150°C

>Place ribs on baking sheets lined with tin foil, season well with salt and pepper. Place ribs in oven for two-and-a-half hours.

>While the ribs are baking, place all barbecue sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or until it becomes slightly thick and covers the back of a spoon. Set aside.

>Baste the ribs every 30 minutes with the sauce while they cook until cooking time is done.

>At this point, you can throw them on the barbecue for about 3-5 minutes to get a nice char on them or you can just place them under the grill for a few minutes.

>Serve with lots of paper napkins and extra sauce on the side.

Cornbread

Ingredients

>170g yellow cornmeal

>110g all-purpose flour

>1 tbsp baking powder

>60g caster sugar

>237ml milk

>2 eggs

>110g butter

>3 tbsp honey

Equipment:

>Muffin cups

>Muffin tin

Method:

>Preheat oven to 190°C.

>Combine dry and wet ingredients separately in large bowls. Mix well.

>Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix well.

>Pour the mixture into muffin cups, place in the muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes.

Spinach, feta and strawberry salad

Ingredients

>135g slivered almonds

>2 cloves garlic, minced

>1 tbsp honey

>1 tsp Dijon mustard

>60ml balsamic vinegar

>25g brown sugar

>240ml extra virgin olive oil

>4 handfuls spinach

>355g fresh strawberries, sliced

>250g crumbled feta cheese

Method:

>In a skillet, over a medium-high heat, toast the almonds for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

>In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and olive oil.

>In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, spinach, strawberries and feta cheese.

>Cover with the dressing mixture, toss and serve.