Sweet and sticky pork ribs with apple wedges

Method

1. Put the apple juice, cider vinegar, water, bay leaves, salt, cinnamon stick, star anise and black peppercorns into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the ribs and reduce the heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a fan oven to 200°C (400°F/gas 8). Take the ribs out of the liquid and place in a large roasting pan. Pour enough of the liquid from the saucepan into the roasting pan to almost cover the ribs to keep them moist.
3. Next, make the sticky sauce by adding the apple syrup or honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion and 500 ml of the apple juice liquid into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the liquid has reduced by about one-third and is thick and very sticky.
4. Next, lift the ribs out of their cooking liquid and reserve the liquid (you might need it later). Pour the sticky sauce over the ribs and turn so that are coated in the sauce. Add the apple wedges to the pan and roast with the ribs for 30–40 minutes, turning midway through, until the ribs are dark and almost blackened.
5. Check regularly to make sure they do not burn – add a little of the reserved liquid to the pan if necessary. When the ribs are ready, serve with slaw or a green salad.