Memphis-style smoked ribs

“What a great surprise it was for me to be in Wales and run into two local girls with a pop-up restaurant, cooking Memphis-style food in a small Welsh town. It’s another great example of multiculturalism in the UK and how its food culture has evolved. While Samantha and Shauna usually cook their ribs slowly in a smoker, the meat will also cook to perfection in a low oven.” Luke Nguyen, Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  6 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1½ kg American-style pork ribs
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) oil

Tennessee pig rub

• 75 g brown sugar
• 75 g sea salt flakes
• 40 g sweet paprika
• 25 g cinnamon
• 25 g mixed spice
• 10 g garlic powder
• 10 g onion powder

Kansas City barbecue sauce

• ½ tsp groundnut oil
• 1 tbsp mild chilli powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 160 ml quality ketchup
• 50 ml American mustard
• 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 2 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp hot chilli sauce
• 90 g dark brown sugar

Creole corn (Maque choux)

• 80 g unsalted butter
• 3 ears of corn
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• ¼ cup finely diced celery
• ½ cup finely diced green pepper
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 1½ tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup diced tomato
• ½ cup thinly sliced spring onions
• kosher salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Dry shake

• 75 g (⅓ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• ¼ cup paprika
• 1½ tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp rosemary powder
• ½ tsp celery salt

Marinating time 2 hours

Instructions

To make the pig rub, place all the ingredients in an airtight container, seal and shake well to combine. This will make more than you need for this recipe but it will keep in a cool dark place for up to 3 months. 

Using a sharp knife, remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs and discard. This is an important step in making the ribs melt in the mouth tender. Oil the front and back of the ribs. Massage ¼ cup of the pig rub over the front side of the ribs, then massage another 1½ tablespoons over the back of the ribs. Place in a container, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.  

Preheat the oven to 110ºC. Place the ribs in a baking dish and bake for 6 hours, turning occasionally or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.   

Meanwhile, to make the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, then add the dry spices and stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly for 15 minutes or until thickened. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. You can use the sauce immediately or pour into sterilised bottles and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

To make the Creole corn, place the corn upright in a shallow bowl and use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. The trick is to cut about half way through the kernels, then go back and scrape the cobs with your knife to extract all the corn milk. Reserve the corn milk. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the corn, onion, celery, capsicum, thyme and a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic, tomatoes, reserved corn milk and another pinch of salt, then cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spring onions and season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.

To make the dry shake, place all the ingredients into a container (like a salt shaker) so you can shake it up, turn it upside down and shake onto your cooked ribs, your creole corn or even some homemade meatballs! Serve the ribs with the barbecue sauce, creole corn, dry shake and plenty of napkins.  

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Alice Storey and Georgi Larby.

Cosmopolitan milk bottle (barbecue sauce) from Maxwell and Williams. Artistica pasta plate, Rockingham espresso saucer and utility tongues, all from Tomkin. Tam dip bowl (spice) and Quinn cereal bowl (Creole corn), both from Country Road.

Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom starts Thursday 14 May 2015 at 8pm on SBS ONE and finishes 2 July 2015. Visit the Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom website to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes or find out moreabout the show.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.