Slow Cooked Cola Ribs

My slow cooker feels neglected recently. So I put him to work today and created this lovely summer dish. Can do the last part on the BBQ instead on the grill. If you want to feed more people then get a bigger rack and make more marinade.

Serves 2

Rack of Ribs (Went to my local butcher and I go for about 3 per person, as local butchers have a lot of meat on them)

650ml Pork Stock

250ml Coca-Cola 

Chinese 5 Spice Powder

Marinade

4 tbsp Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder

1 tbsp Honey

1 Garlic Clove

Salt and Pepper

1. Rub both sides of the ribs with the spice powder. Then put Cola and stock in the pan. It needs to cover the ribs. If the ribs aren't submerged then top with more cola, stock or water. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

2. For the marinade mix all the ingredients with 2 tbsp of the stock/mixture in the slow cooker. Take the ribs out,  meat side up and put on a tray and lather with 3/4 of the marinade on the ribs. Then put under a grill for 10 minutes. Flip over then use the rest of the marinade and grill for 5 minutes. 

Serve with salad, wedges/chips, sweetcorn or coleslaw

Serving Suggestions

Sausages in a Cider Gravy

I absolutely love cider and wanted to put it in one of my meals. The combination of pork sausages, apples and cider make a tasty meal.

Serves 4:

8 good quality pork sausages
1 Medium white onion, cut into wedges
2 Apples (Cox, braeburn, any eating apples)
    cored and cut into wedges
2 tbp redcurrant jelly
100 ml of Vegetable Stock
200ml of Cider
2 tsp French mustard
1 tsp Sage
Vegetable Oil

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Poke holes in the sausage with a fork and fry them in the pan for 5 minutes. Turning them regularly.

2. Add the onions to the pan and fry these until soft and golden. After this throw in the apples and fry these until they begin to colour.

3. Make the 100ml mixture of vegetable stock (using either powdered or cubed stock), add the 200ml of cider to the mixture. Stir in the mustard and redcurrant jelly. Pour into the frying pan. Let the mixture boil and then reduce the heat.

4. Add the sage. Let the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. The sausages should be cooked and the gravy would have thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes.