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ROAST GARLIC GLAZED AND SMOKED LAMB RIBS

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Lamb ribs are huge on flavour, and incredibly rich - so they’re great paired with aromatic spices. Here we combine an earthy spice rub with a punchy glaze made with roasted garlic, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. These ribs are also very forgiving and need very little maintenance while cooking, making them perfect for entertaining.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 sets lamb ribs, trimmed of excess fat (approx. 600-700g ea)
1 tsp olive oil
1.5 tsp sea salt

Rub:
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Roasted garlic glaze:
1 head roasted garlic – 45 mins 160c
2 tbsp roasted garlic paste
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt

SERVES FOUR

3.5 HRS PREP

8HRS COOKING

For the rub
Make your rub by mixing all spices together in a small bowl.

For the glaze
Preheat your oven to 170°C. Cut off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves then wrap in tightly in foil. Roast the garlic for one hour until soft then allow to cool for thirty minutes. Squeeze all soft garlic out of its skin into a bowl. Discard the skin, reserving the flesh. Using a fork, gently mash the garlic into a paste. Stir in mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and a pinch of salt to taste.

For the ribs
Rub the ribs lightly all over with olive oil and and season generously with salt. Apply the rub, using your hands to work the rub into the meat - making sure they are evenly coated. Place the ribs into the fridge for two hours so that flavours of the rub penetrate into the meat.

Prepare a kettle bbq for smoking (indirect heat)
Put some unlit coals to one side of the grate, with a foil tray filled halfway with water on the opposite side. Meanwhile, using a charcoal chimney, light half a chimney full of charcoal. Once these are red hot, pour them onto the unlit coals. Replace the cooking grate and the lid. Adjust the bottom dampers to around half closed, leaving the top damper fully open. Leave to stabilise to 135°C, adjusting the dampers if needed.

Cooking your ribs
Place the ribs on the bbq above the water pan and add a handful of smoking chips to the hot coals. Replace the lid and allow to smoke for 30 mins. Remove the lid then add another handful of smoking chips, leaving the ribs to cook for a further 3 hours.

After a total of 3.5 hours, check the ribs. They should look quite dark, and feel soft to the touch. A probe thermometer stuck into the thickest part should read around 90 degrees.

Remove the lid from the bbq. Using a pastry brush, coat the ribs generously with the glaze. Replace the lid, and cook for a final 20 minutes for the glaze to set. Transfer the lamb ribs to a plate, and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the ribs between the bones, and serve immediately.