Louisiana spare ribs recipe
Cajun style ribs cooked slowly in a foil envelope, then crisped on the coals.
There are various ways to cook spare ribs. One of my favourites is Louisiana, also known as Cajun style. The recipe works for ribs on a barbecue as well as from the oven, although the barbecue adds the smoky flavour we all enjoy. I am more than happy to cook them for you at home.
Cajun cuisine is a style of cooking named after the French-speaking Acadian people, deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is a rustic cuisine: locally available ingredients predominate and preparation is simple.
Ingredients (serves 2 as part of a mixed barbecue)
- 2 spare ribs
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- Cajun spices
- Barbecue or tomato sauce
- Olive oil
Method
- Put the spare ribs on a piece of aluminium foil large enough to make an envelope.
- Cut the lemon and orange in half. Squeeze them over the ribs, sprinkle with olive oil and rub in plenty of Cajun spices.
- Turn the ribs over and repeat.
- Fold the foil into an envelope and place it on the barbecue or in the oven for 2.5 hours at 120 degrees Celsius. If you cannot regulate the temperature on your barbecue, move the coals to one side and put the ribs on the opposite side.
- Take the ribs out of the foil, add some more Cajun spices and place them directly over the coals to cook crispy on both sides.
- Add some honey if you like, but be careful not to burn them.
Chef Bob