Ingredients

• Pork spare ribs
• Your favourite dry rub
• A little apple juice
• A very small splash of apple vinegar
• Barbecue sauce

Equipment

• Barbecue or smoker
• Cling film or vacuum bags
• Vacuum sealer, if available
• Closed grill-safe container or foil tray with lid

Preparation

Two days before cooking, cover the pork spare ribs with dry rub.

Wrap the ribs tightly in cling film or place them in vacuum bags and vacuum-seal them.

Put the ribs in the refrigerator for 48 hours so the rub can go into the meat.

Cooking Method

Heat the barbecue or smoker to about 90°C.

Put the ribs on the grill and cook them for 2½ hours.

After 2½ hours, place the ribs into a closed container.

Add a little apple juice and a very small splash of apple vinegar.

Close the container and put it back on the grill.

Increase the temperature to about 120–130°C.

Cook for another 1½ hours.

Take the ribs out of the container. At this point, the meat should be very soft. You should be able to pull the bones out easily. This is the “bone out” moment.

Put the ribs back on the grill at about 120–130°C.

Brush barbecue sauce onto the meat side, not the bone side.

Let them finish on the grill until the sauce is warm and sticky.

Serve immediately.

Ralf’s Test

The ribs are ready when the bones pull out easily and the people eating them say:

“Wow, what is this?”

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Ralf’s Warm Potato Salad with Olive Oil, Herbs, and Sweet Onions

Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Vinegar
• A little water
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh chives
• A small amount of thyme
• Herb mix, or another savoury herb seasoning
• Salt and pepper, if needed

Preparation

Peel the potatoes.

Boil the potatoes until cooked but still firm enough to slice.

Cut the potatoes into slices and place them in a bowl.

Making the Warm Onion Dressing

Slice or chop the onions.

Put the onions in a pan and let them soften slowly.

Add garlic.

Add olive oil.

Add vinegar.

Add parsley, chives, a little thyme, and the herb mix.

Add a little water.

Let everything cook gently and reduce for about one hour, until the onions become soft, sweet, and full of flavour.

Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Assembling the Salad

Pour the hot onion and herb dressing over the sliced potatoes.

Mix gently so the potatoes do not break too much.

Let the potato salad rest for about six hours.

Serve at room temperature or gently warmed.

Ralf’s Test

The potato salad is ready when someone walks into the kitchen and says:

“Oh, what a nice smell.”

And then takes one bite and says:

“Wow, what is this?”