Braised Spicy Spareribs

From *Stroganov to Strudel* (Great Traditional Cooking From Germany, Austria, Hungary & the Czech Republic), this recipe strangely does not identify the country of origin ... BUT after reading the intro & recipe, I realized it is meant to be a regional recipe vs country-specific. The *Meat and Poultry* section of this cookbook is rich in detail, i.e. "Lamb, beef, veal & chicken are all used in Central European cooking, although it is perhaps pork that best exemplifies Central European meat cuisine. The sweet-sour flavour so typical across this region is again in evidence in the sauces. Choose very meaty ribs for this dish & trim off any excess fat b4 cooking as the juices are turned into a delicious sauce." I felt like the Rene Zelwegger character in the movie *Jerry Maguire* & heard myself say aloud: "Ok already! You had me hooked at ..." :-) *Enjoy* !

• Ready In: 1 hr 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 1⁄2 lbs  pork spareribs (cut into individual pieces)
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  onion (finely chopped)
• 1  garlic clove (crushed)
• 3  tablespoons tomato puree
• 2  tablespoons chili sauce
• 2  tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1  pinch ground cloves
• 2 1⁄2 cups  beef stock
• 1  tablespoon cornflour
•  flat leaf parsley (to garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 (180C or 350F). Combine flour, salt & pepper in a shallow dish or plastic bag. Add ribs & toss to coat them in the flour mixture.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan & cook the ribs (turning) till they are well-browned. Transfer ribs to a roasting pan (or baking dish) w/a lid & sprinkle w/the chopped onion.
3. In a bowl, mix garlic, tomato puree, chili sauce, vinegar, cloves & stock. Pour mixture over the ribs & cover w/the lid. Roast for 1 1/2 hrs (or till tender), removing the lid for the last 30 minutes.
4. Remove ribs carefully to an oven-safe dish or platter & keep warm at a low oven temperature.
5. Deglaze pan juices with a small amt of water (or stock) & transfer to a saucepan. Blend cornflour in a cup with a little cold water & stir into the saucepan. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil (stirring) & simmer 2-3 min till thickened.
6. Pour a little sauce over the ribs & serve the remaining sauce separately in a warmed gravy boat or pouring jug. Garnish with parsley & serve immediately with sauerkraut & crusty bread (Feel free to sub mashed, oven-roasted or simple boiled potatoes if sauerkraut is not to your liking).