James Martin’s Beef Ribs With Succotash & Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Short ribs are taken from the top of the rib joint and are sometimes known as “Jacob’s ladder”. They need to be cooked for at least a couple of hours to soften, then coated in sauce, before being baked or barbecued. The meat should just fall apart. The idea for this dish came from Black’s Barbecue restaurant in Austin.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2kg beef ribs
1 head of celery, halved
1 onion, halved
2 carrots
small bunch of flat-leaf parsley

For the bourbon BBQ sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
15cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and diced
cloves from 1 garlic bulb, crushed
300g brown sugar
100ml soy sauce
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
750ml tomato ketchup
200ml bourbon whiskey

For the succotash (warm salad)
2 tbsp olive oil
100g butter
the corn cut from 2 corn on the cob
300g broad beans
3 chillies, sliced
small bunch of mint, chopped
small bunch of parsley, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Put the beef ribs into a large casserole dish. Add the celery, onion, carrots and parsley. Pour enough cold water over the top to cover, then put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.

To make the bourbon BBQ sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions over a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic, then add the sugar, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, ketchup and bourbon. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.

When the beef is ready, lift it out of the liquid and discard the liquid and vegetables, or strain and reserve to use for stock.

Put it into a roasting tray, pour the sauce over the top and roast for 20 minutes.

To make the succotash, heat the oil and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a hot pan. Once the butter has melted, add the corn and cook for a few minutes until golden. Add the broad beans to the pan, along with the chillies, mint and parsley, then season. Heat on the hob for a couple of minutes to warm though, then add the rest of the butter and heat to melt.

Spoon the succotash into a bowl and carve the beef into four ribs – one for each person. Coat the beef with the sauce and serve.

Extracted from James Martin’s American Adventure by James Martin (Quadrille, approx €28.50). Photography © Peter Cassidy.