Today is Father's Day. And what better way to thank my baby daddy and man of my dreams for all he does for us, than serve him the worlds BEST ribs!
I know what you're probably thinking... 'another recipe that claims its 'The Best'' But I am 100% serious when I say that these bad boys, are the best ribs I've ever eaten in my life, LET ALONE made!
They were a complete fluke. Normally my ribs turn out soupy because I do them in a slow cooker, and I always end up disappointed with them. Today, on a complete whim, I thought "I'm going to put them in my Pyrex tray and cover them in foil instead". Pretty sure nearly the whole time they were cooking I was worried they were going to stick to the bottom of the dish, but they didn't! What ended up happening was the most amazing caramelisation on the bottom of the dish, that I ended up sitting down with a spoon and eating once everyone went to bed and no one could see what I was doing. Don't judge. I swear, you'll do the same thing!
I think the secret weapon in these ribs, apart from the sauce, is actually the fact that they're topped with raw onion before going into the oven to cook. If you've ever sautéed onion properly and for a long time, you'll know that the natural sugars come out and you are left with the sweetest, most beautiful onions around... So now picture that, on top of ribs, bathed in BBQ sauce... *insert druelly face here*
We only have meat once, to twice a week in this house as we follow a paleo Wholefood Plant Based Lifestyle. But since I am so limited not being able to eat legumes, and rice and soy products like tofu, our exceptions are Eggs, and meat once a week. Given I also have three growing children and a man that is more carnivore than a T-Rex, it works well for us that we have meat once a week. Bit of variety from constant vegetables. It just means when we do eat meat, that I always try to make sure it's SUPER tasty!
Obviously in sauce recipes, and especially BBQ sauce, there is sugar. Now sadly I can't lie and say there is NO sugar in this sauce. There is. However it is Coconut Sugar and Raw honey. The thing I want you to remember here is just because it is unrefined sugars, it does not mean they are ok to eat in excessive amounts. They are easier on digestion, and like honey they can pack other health benefits, but they are still sugar at the end of the day and if you eat too much of it, you will gain weight and tax your organs. Also if you have issues with yeast over growths like candida or bacterial infections, you can make your issues considerably worse because bacteria and yeast thrive on sugary environments. On top of that, we should all be working toward trying to create an alkaline environment within our bodies. Sugar contributes to metabolic acidosis and then you open your self up to concerns like cancer etc. I know this seems like a stretch, however it is all these reasons that make one big reason to cut down on sugar.
I don't eat sugar at all normally. I have the odd piece of fruit or some dates on occasion, and suffice to say, I hateeeee my family eating sugar. So dishes like this we really leave as a special occasion dish.
Anyhow, Please let me know in the comments how your ribs went and if you think they are tasty. My hubbo even said they were the best he's had - so that's gotta say something for them!
Recipe
Serves 4
Time: 3.5 Hours
What you will need:
400 Grams Beef Short Ribs (Bone In)
1 Teaspoons Onion Powder 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
2 Tablespoons Sweet Paprika 1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes ( or more if you like it hot! )
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Tomato Passata 2 Teaspoons Himalayan Salt
2 Tablespoons Tamari 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Large Brown Onion , sliced.
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.
In a fry pan on medium high heat, brown your short ribs, don't cook them through, just develop a nice crust. Once the ribs are brown, place them in one layer in a baking dish (I used a Pyrex Baking Dish)
Don't discard the fat that forms from the ribs in the frypan.
In the same pan that has the fat and goodies from the browned ribs, add all of the ingredients for the sauce and stir well over a low heat.
While the Sauce is coming together over the low heat, chop your onion to rings, and then cut the rings in half.
Once the sugar in the sauce is dissolved, place your onions over the ribs and then pour 3/4 of the sauce evenly over the top.
It should look like this.
Cover the dish with foil, and place into the oven for 2.5 hours.
Af ter 2.5 hours, take the ribs out of the oven, and take off the foil. Turn the ribs. Place the ribs back into the oven uncovered for the remaining half an hour.
When the half hour is up, take the ribs out and place them into a bowl with the remaining sauce and toss to coat.
Serve and Enjoy!
