Juicy Marbles
There is a time and place for elevated beige food – gravy, potato, ribs – and that time is often. Braise Juicy Marbles Baby Ribs in bold flavours to reward yourself and your favourite people with juicy, tender, fall-apart ribs, bathed in a rich, savoury, gravy-adjacent sauce.
This is best served with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and a big spoonful of cranberry jam for a kick of sweet acidity. Perfect for these cold, long winter days when one needs a hug from within.
Top tip: The recipe can be made gluten-free with corn starch or gluten-free flour (for the slurry) and tamari instead of soy sauce.
4 small red onions cut into quarters or eighths (approx. 90-100g)
2 celery sticks, chopped (approx. 150g)
2 carrots, chopped (approx. 200g)
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (approx. 25g)
2 packs of Juicy Marbles Baby Ribs
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp mustard
150ml non-alcoholic red wine (or 110ml vegetable stock + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar)
70ml black coffee
500ml vegetable stock (dilute 1 vegetable stock cube in 500ml of hot water)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
60g fresh or dried cranberries
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
6 sage leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp water
For the potato side dish (optional):
3-4 large potatoes
4 tbsp plant-based butter
120-150ml plant-based milk
A couple of pinches of salt
There is a time and place for elevated beige food – gravy, potato, ribs – and that time is often. Braise Juicy Marbles Baby Ribs in bold flavours to reward yourself and your favourite people with juicy, tender, fall-apart ribs, bathed in a rich, savoury, gravy-adjacent sauce.
This is best served with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and a big spoonful of cranberry jam for a kick of sweet acidity. Perfect for these cold, long winter days when one needs a hug from within.
Top tip: The recipe can be made gluten-free with corn starch or gluten-free flour (for the slurry) and tamari instead of soy sauce.
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare your vegetables (peel and chop carrots, celery and garlic).
3. Cut the Juicy Marbles ribs into 3-4 pieces.
4. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the ribs and season them with salt and pepper. Cook low and slow for 5-7 minutes to ensure nice browning. Remove them from the pan.
5. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the same pan and add red onions. Fry for 2 minutes (gently moving them around the pan to prevent them from falling apart) before adding garlic. After 1 minute, add celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and let it caramelise for 3-4 minutes. (Always caramelise your tomato paste! This small gesture will transform tart, metallic ‘canned’ flavour into a delicious, deep umami flavor by caramelising sugars and activating glutamates naturally present in the paste. We are looking for a dark, brick red colour.) Add 1 tsp mustard and mix well before taking it off the heat.
7. Nestle the ribs in the pan and sprinkle with cranberries and fresh herbs.
8. Mix 500ml vegetable stock, 50ml black coffee, 150ml non-alcoholic red wine, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Pour over the ribs and vegetables.
9. Cover the pan with tin foil or a lid and braise in the oven for 60 minutes.
10. In the meantime, peel and dice the potatoes, if making the side dish. Cook them until tender before mashing them with milk, butter and salt. Depending on the starchiness of the potatoes, more or less liquid might be necessary, so add it slowly.
11. After 60 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the ribs to a plate.
12. Make a slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour with 4 tbsp water. Add the mixture to the pan, mix well and cook on medium heat until thickened.
13. Serve over cloudy mashed potatoes.
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