How to make perfect BBQ ribs

As we're sure you're obviously aware, it's barbecue week, and while burgers and sausages are the British staples, we think it's time we took some tips from our American brethren and branched out a bit.

While this recipe will actually take you away from a physical barbecue, it's well worth being a tad inauthentic for. We spoke to Tim Payne, executive chef at The Blues Kitchen in Camden, who shared this easy three-pronged guide to a perfect set of BBQ ribs.

Spare Rib Brine

Ingredients

1L of water

90g sugar

80g table salt

1 tbsp. celery salt

1 tbsp. black peppercorns crushed

1 tbsp. coriander seeds crushed

2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

1 red chilli de-seeded and coarsely diced

1 jalapeno de-seeded and coarsely diced

1 tbsp. juniper berries

1 orange zest

Method

1. Place all of the ingredients into a pan over a medium heat

2. Warm the brine until the sugar and salt are dissolved

3. Let it cool

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

140g tomato paste

1 medium sized onion diced

4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

1 ½ tbsp. honey

3 bay leaves

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1L water

6oz brown sugar

160ml molasses

160ml smoked hickory essence

160ml malt vinegar

1 tbsp. fresh thyme

1 tbsp. fresh ground pepper

Salt to taste

Method

1. Place the oil into a plan and heat under medium heat

2. Sweat the garlic, onion and thyme

3. Add the tomato paste

4. When the paste has changed colour, add the brown sugar and molasses and bring to the boil

5. Add the vinegar and bring back to the boil

6. Add the water and bring the sauce back to the boil once again

7. Add the paprika powder, bay leaves and salt

8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes and remove the bay leaves

9. Add the sauce to a food processor or blender and purèe the sauce

10. Place the purèe back into the pan and reduce for 30 minutes

11. Remove and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour before use

Spare Ribs

Ingredients

6 racks of spare ribs

1.2L of spare rib brine

Blues Kitchen barbecue sauce

Method

1. Soak the ribs in the brine for no less than two hours (preferably overnight)

2. After soaking the ribs, poach the ribs in the brine which will take approximately one hour checking constantly, this must be soft but not falling off the bone

3. To finish the ribs, grill on the meatier side for approximately five minutes

4. After grilling, brush with a healthy amount of barbecue sauce

5. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees