Sticky BBQ Ribs

The sun is finally here!!! Finally, after the wind, rain and floods, it feels like winter has passed and spring, and maybe even summer is on it's way.

After a great day in the sun watching the Virgin London Marathon I wanted to prolong the feeling of summer as much as possible with a proper full-on barbecue. The only catch is...I don't have a barbecue.

So I decided to rustle up the next best thing - sticky BBQ Ribs, simply roasted in the oven.

The sauce is sweet and spicy, while the lemon and thyme dressing I roasted the veg in cut through the thickness of it and left a fresh and summery dish, perfect for when you're feeling pretty lazy in the kitchen.

You will need:

 - 500g carton passata
 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed
 - 2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
 - 3 tbsp golden syrup

- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- chilli flakes

 - smoked paprika

- pork ribs 

For the veg you will need:

- selection of your favourite veggies, I used broccoli, 2 carrots, 2 parsnips, 1 sweet potato, 1 red onion, 1 red pepper and some frozen sweetcorn.

 - 4 tbsp of olive oil

 - 2 tbsp lemon juice

 - fresh thyme

 - tsp of fresh grated ginger

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees
2. First, mix the BBQ sauce ingredients in a big mixing bowl
3. If you want a bit of extra seasoning, mix up this secret rub and use it all over the ribs, rubbing it in good and proper.
4. Now place the ribs in a low roasting dish and coat in the sauce, pouring all of the mixture so they are completely covered. Cover the dish with foil and leave it stand for 30 mins.
5. While the ribs are marinating, prepare your veg. Peel and chop all the root veg and the broccoli and place in a microwave-proof bowl and zap in the microwave for 5 mins until slightly soft.
6. Get a jar and add the oil, lemon juice, thyme and ginger and some salt and pepper.
7. Put the lid on and give it a good shake.
8. Now chop the onion and pepper, add the microwaved veg and the sweetcorn to another roasting dish and pour over the dressing, giving it a good stir to coat.
9. Now put the ribs in the oven, covered in foil for 30 mins
10. After 30 mins, remove the foil and put the veggies into the oven too
11. For the next hour keep your eye on the ribs, basting and turning every now and again, and cook your veg until they're slightly blackened, but not burned. Cook the ribs until the sauce is all but gone, and has caramelised onto the meat.
12. Serve the ribs on a bed of the lemony veg, with a cold glass of wine on a sunny evening!

Enjoy!