BBQ Beef Short Ribs with Crackling Cornbread

Feast your eyes on this smoky barbeque platter. Kate Fay's maple and spice marinated short ribs are wonderfully tender and make for a spectacular flavour-packed meal. Firing up the BBQ to finish them off will add a wonderful smoky accent and crispy edges, though if you opt for the oven method we promise they are just as delicious. Fry up some cornbread to serve on the side along with lashings of Sabato backyard BBQ sauce and balsamic vinegar marinated onions.

Serves 4

Marinade
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
¼ cup coriander leaves, roots and stalks, all finely chopped
1½ Tbsp Pons hot paprika flakes
2 Tbsp spent coffee grounds
¼ cup Escuminac Late Harvest maple syrup
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
1 tsp Sal de Añana spring salt

1 beef short rib (2-3kg), bones intact

Cornbread
1 egg, beaten
220g La Grande Ruota yellow quick cook polenta
200ml buttermilk
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Sal de Añana spring salt
EVO

To serve
1 can Tutto Gusto onions in balsamic vinegar
1 bottle Sabato Backyard BBQ Sauce

For the BBQ short ribs, you will need to start a day in advance. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a low-sided ceramic roasting dish that’s just big enough to hold the marinade and the short ribs. Pat the ribs down with a paper towel, place in the dish and rub the marinade all over so they are fully coated. Cover and leave the ribs to marinate meat-side down overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C. Top up the roasting dish with water so that the liquid reaches halfway up the sides, and keep the short ribs meat-side down. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and braise the ribs for 3-3.5 hours, until the meat is tender.

The ribs can either be finished in the oven or on the BBQ – this step can be done the day after braising if required.

For the oven method:
Drain the braising liquid from the roasting dish, season ribs with salt and return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes, until crispy.

For the BBQ method:
Preheat the BBQ to a medium to high heat. Remove the ribs from the braising liquid, season with salt and sear meat-side down, until the outside is crispy. Turn the ribs over, close the BBQ lid and leave for approximately 15 minutes, until the meat is heated through.

Cornbread
In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Heat a small oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of EVO. Spoon ¼ of the mixture into the frying pan, spread the mixture into a circle approximately 12cm in diameter and cook until the base is golden brown. Next, transfer to the oven for 10 minutes until the mixture is set. Once set, remove and place the frying pan back over a medium heat, flip the cornbread and fry until golden brown. Season with salt.

Serve short ribs and cornbread with balsamic onions and Sabato’s backyard BBQ sauce.

Recipe by Kate Fay