Name: Bourbon-glazed spare ribs with smoked corn salad
Ingredients: 1kg pork baby back ribs, cut into 12 equal small racks (of 2 or 3 ribs per rack); 80g coarse sea salt; 4cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned (35g); 1 medium onion, roughly chopped (120g); 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 8 whole star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1.5 litres chicken stock; 100ml shaoxing rice wine; 100ml rice vinegar; 4 large corn cobs, with husks (1kg) or without (900g); 15g sprigs of lemon thyme; 3 tbsp lime juice; 2 tsp maple syrup or Sindyanna carob syrup; 60ml olive oil; 1 green chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced; 20g coriander leaves; 20g mint leaves; 20g parsley leaves; 4 spring onions, thinly sliced (45g); coarse sea salt; 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced (130g); 350ml bourbon; 60ml maple syrup; 2 tsp szechuan peppercorns; 1½ tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 3 tbsp tomato ketchup; 1½ tbsp rice vinegar

Bourbon-glazed spare ribs with smoked corn salad

Main Weekend project

Serves 4

Beyond a large saucepan or wok, a roll of tin foil and a good ventilator (or open window), you don’t need any special equipment to smoke food at home. It’s not for everyone, though, so skip this stage if you like. And in recipes like this, where only half the stock reduction is called for, the remainder can be frozen and used as the base for another sauce or soup, or added to the braising liquid for a dish. The glaze here is also great for marinating other things: barbecued chicken wings, for example, or cubes of tuna or tofu before they’re chargrilled.

Ingredients

1kg	pork baby back ribs, cut into 12 equal small racks (of 2 or 3 ribs per rack)
80g	coarse sea salt
4cm	piece of ginger, peeled and julienned (35g)
1	medium onion, roughly chopped (120g)
6	garlic cloves, crushed
8	whole star anise
1	cinnamon stick
1 tsp	black peppercorns
1.5 litres	chicken stock
100ml	shaoxing rice wine
100ml	rice vinegar
SMOKED CORN SALAD
4	large corn cobs, with husks (1kg) or without (900g)
15g	sprigs of lemon thyme
3 tbsp	lime juice
2 tsp	maple syrup or Sindyanna carob syrup
60ml	olive oil
1	green chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced
20g	coriander leaves
20g	mint leaves
20g	parsley leaves
4	spring onions, thinly sliced (45g)
	coarse sea salt
GLAZE
3	banana shallots, thinly sliced (130g)
350ml	bourbon
60ml	maple syrup
2 tsp	szechuan peppercorns
1½ tbsp	lemon juice
2 tbsp	sesame oil
3 tbsp	tomato ketchup
1½ tbsp	rice vinegar
2	dried red chillies
2	garlic cloves, lightly crushed

Method

Place the ribs in a large bowl with the salt. Rub it all over the meat and set aside for an hour.
Rinse the ribs well under cold water, gently rubbing off all the salt, and pat dry. Put them into a large saucepan, for which you have a lid, and add the ginger, onion, garlic, star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns. Pour over the stock, along with the cooking wine and rice vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, covered, for an hour.
Lift out the pork and set it aside. If you are not serving them in the next couple of hours, let the ribs cool and store them in the fridge, covered, until ready to use. If you do this, make sure you bring them back to room temperature before you coat them in the glaze before serving.
Strain the liquid, discarding the onion, garlic and spices, and return it to the pan. Place on a high heat and cook for 30–35 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to just 200ml. Remove from the heat and set aside. Chill if you are not serving the ribs in the next 2 hours.
Remove the husks from the corn and use them to line the base of a large saucepan or wok which is deep enough to fit a colander or metal steaming basket inside, and for which you have a lid. Add the sprigs of thyme and place the pan on a high heat.
Once the husks and thyme begin to smoke, after about 6 minutes, place the colander in the pan and place the corn cobs inside it. Use a lid to seal the pan – then smoke for 5 minutes (or 3, if you are using rice in the base of the pan; see introduction). Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, for another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and set aside to cool.
Stand each corn cob on a chopping board and use a large sharp knife to shave off rows of kernels, cutting from top to bottom. Cut deep enough into the cob so that some of the kernels remain in clusters: this isn’t essential, it just looks good. Set the corn kernels aside and discard the cobs.
About 45 minutes before you are ready to serve, place all the ingredients for the glaze, along with 100ml of the stock reduction, in a large pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to about 200ml and has the consistency of syrup. Return the pork ribs to the sauce and stir gently so they all get coated. Cook for about 7 more minutes on a medium heat, stirring once or twice, until the ribs are warmed through and sticky.
Just before serving, finish the salad by placing the lime juice, maple syrup, olive oil and chilli in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk to combine, then add the corn kernels, herbs and spring onion and mix together. Place two small racks of ribs on each plate – one leaning against the other – and serve with the corn salad alongside.