light the barbecue

Dust offthe garden furniture and get your tongs ready – it’s that time of year again, for cooking and eating al fresco

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Fall-off-the-bone sticky barbecue ribs

I’ve never understood the logic behind rib recipes that require boiling or steaming the ribs before glazing them. Here, I’ve created a method of cooking them in what becomes the sauce, which takes on plenty of flavour from the meat juices. Ribs are my family’s favourite barbecue meat, and the beauty of this recipe is that most of the work is done in the oven. All you need to do on the barbecue is the glaze, so even a small barbecue will do. As most of the work is done ahead, this can be easily packed and transported for finishing outdoors. Barney Desmazery

SERVES 6-8 PREP 30 mins plus optional marinating COOK 3 hrs EASY

4 racks of baby back pork ribs or other whole racks (about 450g each)

5 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp smoked paprika

4 tbsp light brown soft sugar

1 tbsp garlic granules

1 tbsp onion granules

1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder

300g tomato ketchup

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard 300ml apple juice

1 If there’s a thin membrane on the back of the ribs, peel this offas best you can. The length of the ribs will be determined by the size of your roasting tin and barbecue – leave them whole or cut in half or thirds. Tip the ribs into a large, deep roasting tin. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl until completely combined, then pour this over the ribs. Toss the ribs in the sauce using your hands to ensure they’re completely coated. Cover the tin with foil, shiny-side down. To cook straightaway, simply leave to marinate while the oven heats up, or chill the ribs overnight.