I’m a considerate sort of person. If I’m having a vegetarian over for dinner, I will restrict the number of animals that we slaughter and serve. If there are a group of ‘lads’ I will throw lots of chilli heat into everything and serve gallons of beer, by the neck, so we can behave like teenagers and pretend that our middle-aged stomachs are not in turmoil. If my beloved Mum is coming to our regular Sunday dinner, I tend to respect her desire for moderate heat in everything. Like I say, I’m a considerate kind of guy. I employed such deference last weekend when preparing Ancho Chilli and Honey Pork Ribs. But, it seems, I can’t get everything right.
On Sunday afternoon, my sister rang, from Norway, for a chat. During the call, she mentioned to me that Mum has, of late, found our hard-wood kitchen chairs a deal (pun intended) uncomfortable. She suggested that we might improve Mum’s experience by providing a cushion. I decided that we could go one better and replace Mum’s chair with one of our rarely used dining-room chairs (with padded back and seat). But, why had she not said anything to me?
Now, getting back to the ribs….
Ingredients
- Eight to ten big, free range, pork ribs.
- 4 dried ancho chilis
- 2 medium hot dried New Mexico chilis
- About 150 grammes of honey
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds
First, remove the seeds from the chilis (considerate or what?). Then place the chilis in a bowl and add about a quarter litre of hot water. Leave them there for about 20 minutes.
Place the fennel seeds in a hot dry pan and fry them until they are a nice dark brown.
Give them a good going over in the mortar, reducing them to dust. Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the pork ribs. Give them about 15 minutes.
Then drain them. Place them in a dish or bowl. Add the chilis with their water, honey and fennel into a blender. Blend to a paste.
Pour the paste over the pork ribs. Leave them there for a couple of hours.
Warm the barbecue. Turn it down to low and add the ribs. Grill until cooked. In the meantime, pour the sauce into a pot and bring it to a boil. Let it thicken. Season to taste and serve it with the ribs.
It has a delicious, mild, smokey flavour that really works well.
With Mum happy in her new chair, and while we ate the ribs, I couldn’t help myself. I had to know about the discomfort she had been feeling. I wanted to know why Mum had not said anything directly to me. So, I probed… “Anna rang today. She mentioned you were feeling a bit uncomfortable with the chair. How long had it been bothering you?” She looked up, smiled distantly and replied “Oh, yes, the chair…. For years actually.” Wonderful woman our Mum.
cookinginsens | 12th June 2015
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Those look good. I’m just making some ribs with a rather pedestrian glaze.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Nothing you do is pedestrian, Rosemary.
Mad Dog | 12th June 2015
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They do look very good – succulent and crunchy 🙂
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Thanks MD. They were both, thanks be to goodness.
Adam J. Holland | 12th June 2015
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Outstanding fare, as always. And you don’t know how badly I needed a pour shot this morning. Hope all is well.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Happy to oblige Adam. All is great!
Eha | 12th June 2015
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Four simple ingredients and a relatively easy technique: one just has to have the imagination! Can’t wait to try this as have not had fennel seeds and chillies together . . . greetings from Down Under . . . hope the Irish weather has been kind enough to get on the bike . . .
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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I’ll be back out on it this weekend – no matter what the weather is planning!
A Cookbook Collection | 12th June 2015
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These look just beautiful!
And Irish Mammies, eh? 🙂
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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The best Mammies in the world Donna, as we know.
A Cookbook Collection | 12th June 2015
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The very best
katechiconi | 12th June 2015
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Those blanched ribs remind me of Celts or Anglo-Saxons on the first day of their summer holiday… Afterwards, of course, they’ve clearly spent far too much time with the Ambre Solaire… Delicious smokey recipe. And as for your Mum, she’s clearly of a different ilk from my Ma, who’d make sure you knew she was suffering, and then tell you she was offering it up, so you couldn’t do anything about it!
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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On one teenage holiday, I remember a Spanish chap telling us that we looked like a collection of milk bottles. I have never got over that.
katechiconi | 12th June 2015
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Bring on the marinade, I say! Living where I do, it’s less of a problem, of course…
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2015
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We have an expression here, “farmer’s tan”. Brown / bright red arms from half way down the guns combined with a red neck and head. Everything else milk white.
katechiconi | 13th June 2015
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Similar here, except the brown starts below the hat brim, and he wears white ‘shorts’ and ‘socks’, and it’s always nut brown, never red…
Conor | 12th June 2015
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Just discovered this webpage. Sounds like a delicious recipe! Might give the sauce and ribs a go on the Weber Smokey Mountain this weekend!, that is if the sun stays out in Cork!
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Think positive thoughts Conor. I never let the weather interfere with my BBQ plans. It only means that we have to eat indoors if it’s belting it down. Cook outside regardless. It’s the only way in this country.
Thanks for the visit and the kind comments,
Conor
Linda Duffin | 12th June 2015
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Those do look very good and that’s a much quicker technique than the one I’ve just been using. And let’s hear it for long-suffering and silent mothers! Bless.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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The par-cooking really helps Linda. Mum is not silent on every subject. She is not afraid to share her thoughts!
richardmcgary | 12th June 2015
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Nicely done Conor, as always, and glad to see you’re still getting some use out of the chiles. I love the color of the ribs and char from the grill. I bet they were supremely tasty. Have you ever tried a little orange with your barbecue sauce? It goes remarkably well with the chiles.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Hi Richard,
That’s the very last of yours and some gifted by eldest’s boyfriend. The orange is a lovely thought. Once, a long time ago, I had orange and chilli beef fillet in an upscale Chinese (as upscale as they got back then). I remember it as being delicious. I must try to recreate it.
Best,
C
Lisa Shaw | 12th June 2015
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If you were going to add orange to this sauce, which I think sounds delicious, would you add it in the form of juice, syrup, zest, and/or/other?
richardmcgary | 14th June 2015
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Lisa, I use the juice and the zest, julienned. The juice adds flavor, sweetness and acid. The zest adds depth of flavor.
chef mimi | 12th June 2015
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You’re so funny! Love your ribs. I’m intrigued about the fennel.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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The whole effect was very smokey and earthy. It worked nicely.
babso2you | 12th June 2015
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These look amazing Conor! How long do you BBQ the ribs for? I want to try this one too! ^..^
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Lowest setting on the gas and about 20 minutes. Delicious.
babso2you | 13th June 2015
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Thanks!
babso2you | 4th August 2015
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OK to feature this recipe with a link back to you? 🙂
Our Growing Paynes | 12th June 2015
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Mums are funny things. They will suffer in silence! 🙂
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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Not every one Virginia. Some can be pretty vocal. I’m just lucky! (Mum, are you reading this?)
Debbie Spivey | 12th June 2015
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Wow! Most mom’s are complainers…lol!
The ribs look wonderful! You got me started with those chilies. I’m having a craving now!
p.s. According to my husband, low indirect heat can eliminate the boiling step. 😉
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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I like doing them this way Debbie. They don’t take too long and they end up very succulent. I hate when they dry out in an effort to cook them correctly.
Debbie Spivey | 12th June 2015
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Yes, I can understand that. Many people do. Personal preference. Dry meat isn’t even good enough for a vulture!
The Quincho Project | 12th June 2015
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You’ve got me wondering how many comments will you get with regard to boiling those beautiful ribs first ;). Ahh, but they do look lovely. Were those boneless? When they are, we call them country style, but I’m not sure how that translates. I like your sauce idea.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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They were a mixture of bone and no bone, so let’s call it “Town and Country”. The boiling really makes them far easier to grill and they lose little or no flavour in the process.
foodisthebestshitever | 12th June 2015
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Dear good lord those ribs look so damn good… and I’m sure the new chair was damn good too 🙂
Nice work Conor.
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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If the mother is happy, I’m happy. That was the best bit of work possible.
foodisthebestshitever | 13th June 2015
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Amen that!
StefanGourmet | 12th June 2015
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Nice ribs! I would cook them sous-vide, with the anchos and honey, before grilling. My mom would have said something sooner (i.e. one nanosecond after not liking the chair).
Conor Bofin | 12th June 2015
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I seem to be getting off lightly on the chair front.
The Gourmet Gourmand | 13th June 2015
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Wow this looks like a great recipe. Yum!
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2015
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Thanks GG,
It’s very simple and delicious.
Mr Fitz | 13th June 2015
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Looking great
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2015
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Thanks Mr F.
They are easy to prepare and very tasty. The marinade can be used in burgers (as it was that day) too.
Best,
C
iamrorykelly | 13th June 2015
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Now you’re wandering in my garden C-Bomb….great lookin’ ribs fella – never thought to boil them pre-BBQ. I usually dry rub, roast the BB – will have a bounce at this though
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2015
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Excellent approach too. The dry rub would work this way too (post boil). I must experiment with a bit of dry rub. I love spice mixing.
iamrorykelly | 13th June 2015
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Groovy – have a crack at this run then C-Bomb http://rorykellycooks.com/2014/08/16/double-cooked-baby-backs-with-remoulade/
dedy oktavianus pardede | 13th June 2015
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finger licking good!!!
Conor Bofin | 13th June 2015
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Thanks Dedy. Not enough chilli heat for you, I’m afraid.
Phil @foodfrankly | 14th June 2015
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Great stuff as alway. Those look proper cuts ribs too. I make ribs the same way, I find it take on favour better too plus you can get a half decent stock out of the water with a bit more reduction. Winner!
Conor Bofin | 14th June 2015
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Great thought on the stock Phil. I’m glad somebody is with me in this!
Tara Sparling | 14th June 2015
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Conor, the guilt of an Irish son is a treasured thing. Some believe an Irish Mammy gets more out of guilt and contrition than they ever could from being comfortable. I’m not saying your most estimable mother is an example but nevertheless, don’t underestimate the power of your gift. I’m sure the ribs helped too.
Conor Bofin | 15th June 2015
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Guilty Tara, yes. But, never that guilty. If I were, I would have become a Christian Brother or a priest or such like. You could guess the rest….
Ronan | 15th June 2015
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They look great. Where would you get those chillis in Dublin, do you know?
anotherfoodieblogger | 16th June 2015
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No time to read all the comments, but it’s rather comical your mum never said anything before about the chair. By the way, you CAN’T go wrong with pork marinated in ancho chiles. Great job! I can smell them from here!
Conor Bofin | 16th June 2015
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So smokey and delicious!
swapnakarthik | 20th June 2015
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We use fennel seeds and red chillies in Indian cooking too…..I should give this a try with mutton for we dont eat pork ……
Conor Bofin | 20th June 2015
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I imagine it would be good with mutton too. If you try it, please let me know how it goes.
swapnakarthik | 20th June 2015
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Will do Conor….
Pingback:Conor’s Chilli and Honey Ribs – Tasty Tuesday | Life in the Foothills | 4th August 2015
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babso2you | 4th August 2015
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Conor – Thank you for allowing me to use your recipe on my site. Here is the link to my post:
https://salmonfishingqueen.wordpress.com/2015/08/04/conors-chilli-and-honey-ribs-tasty-tuesday/
These were absolutely delicious! Thanks! ^..^