The Ultimate Pork Rib Recipe

There are two kinds of Pork Rib lovers – Those that like chewing their meat off the bone and those that like it falling off the bone……I’m the latter.

And for this to happen you need decent pork ribs, hence me always relying on The Flying Pig as my go to rib supplier. With their quick, home delivery across Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, it’s definitely one benefit to living up north.

Add some bacon, onions, spices, etc. to the mix inside a cast-iron pot and finish them off over hot coals and you get the Ultimate Pork Rib Recipe.

The Ultimate Pork Rib Recipe

Prep Time: 24hrs dry brine

Cooking Time: 2/2.5 hour cast iron cook – 15min hot sear

Feeds How Many? 6 people

Ingredients

• 3 x Slabs of fresh The Flying Pig pork ribs
• Dry rub – Enough to cover every inch of the pork slabs – Don’t be shy.
• 1 x 250ml Coke – And no, before anyone asks…….The original ONLY. You WANT that sugar
• 1 x 75ml Jack Daniels or your whiskey of choice – Bourbon – 50ml for the pot and 25ml to the chef during the cook🤣
• 3 x 250g packs streaky back bacon
• 3 x Onions – large – sliced
• 1 x 200g BBQ basting – Not too sweat a basting – Coke Cola has enough sugar to keep an army of kids awake for 48hrs.

Method:

24 hours prior to braaiing – Yes, it’s a process. Grab your ribs, remove the membrane and smother in dry rub. Place in a dish, cover with cling wrap and dry brine in the fridge for 24hrs. One can use a binder on the ribs for the dry rub. I forgot. I had my eye on the 25ml Jack Daniels.

Grab a flat cast-iron pot/Dutch Oven/Potjie pot. Make sure it’s been seasoned properly.

Layer the bottom with bacon, then onions. Layer of ribs. Repeat. Any remaining onions and bacon layer on top.

Now pour the coke and Jack Daniels in the pot. Try and not pour it directly onto the meat as you’ll wash off your dry rub. Not ideal. However, with the BBQ sauce, drape it over the meat.

it’s insane to keep the membrane, insane in the brain

I love pot

Now we ready to cook

Fire. Real wood. That’s how it is done.

Moving to your fire. Not gas. Fire. Real wood. Wood.

You going to need those hot coals to sear your ribs for the final act.

Place coals under your pot, which is resting on a tripod. You’re aiming for around 180degrees for around 2/2.5 hours. Depends on the thickness of your ribs. Do not stir. This isn’t a Potjie.

Now get your coals ready and grab a folding braai grid. These ribs are already fall-off-the-bone when you remove them from the pot. Do so carefully. Once in your folding grid, baste with same BBQ sauce and sear over coals until the sauce caramelizes. You want that sticky, messy, chargrilled, dripping effect. Serve this with a coleslaw, bean salad and home made garlic bread.

Ribs…glorious ribs. 

Ranger Tip

That remaining marinade or sauce inside the pot. That smell and flavour is insane. It’s packed with cooked off bacon and onions etc. I removed the sauce, frozen it and will be using it as stock for a Potjie……soon.