Nigerian Style Uziza Ribs

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I promised to post this recipe, so here it is. First of all, I just want to say yay for my good friend who is in town for the moment. We all have that one friend who puts a smile on our face and kind of makes all our woes go away for a moment 🙂

I developed a recipe for braised short ribs last year, but I felt like it was missing something so I went on the internet and googled different easy recipes and the only one I really fancied after a year was the recipe by divas can cook. The first time I tried out their recipe, it was really good; the next time I made it, I tweaked it with some freshly grounded Uziza seeds i.e. piper guineense and kaboom!

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When it comes to me fusing Nigerian recipes with Western recipes, I try not to make any drastic changes, but it could also be quite frustrating. I don’t know about other food bloggers, but sometimes my passion feels like a burden; and not only when you don’t have all your gadgets in place, but also when you have to think about recipes. Sometimes, it could be so over whelming, but on days like that, I take a break; a well deserved and long one to clear my head.

Now speaking of gadgets, our laptop has been over heating and doing some other magic and my camera has been acting like it has a mind of it’s own. In fact I feel like a farmer with a damaged hoe(the farm implement that is). The only people patient enough to use the laptop are my ajebutters.  Most days, I just leave it closed, sitting and looking miserable in the corner. But would you blame the poor thing? Ive had it for over four years. Blogging aint easy! And to blog, one has to have the right gadgets to work with. On days like today, I get excited about new recipes to try and photograph, but once I think of or remember my camera and computer, I almost lose interest…sigh! Well, Im praying and working hard for a Mac and a new Camera. Until then, I remain passionate 🙂

Back to the ribs! I loveeeee ribs and I was laughing internally when my friend called me and asked “please can you make me ribs?” I said to myself “she has been converted.” hehehe

What makes a good rib isn’t the bbq sauce, its the dry rub that goes on and marinates with the meat before cooking. In other words, it’s how you treat the meat that makes for a lip smacking rib. The bbq sauce only ties the flavors with the meat. If you have a grill or a smoker, you can utilize this recipe to the fullest and kai! For those of us that use the oven, it works just as well. The only risk you have is leaving the meat on the broiler for too long…This is a great summer and Autumn recipe. Yes it’s great for thanksgiving and Christmas too! Oh! it’s foot ball season friendly 🙂

Okay make some before I bore you to death with my talking 🙂

Nigerian style Uziza Ribs
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 9-12
Ingredients
  • lbs meaty beef ribs
  • Liquid smoke (very optional)
  • 3 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dry pepper powder
  • 1-1½ tsp grounded fresh uziza(piper guineense) seeds
  • 2 tbsps brown sugar
  • Bouillon(optional)
  • 1 tsp salt,
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons oregano(parsley, rosemary, thyme or Italian seasoning works)
  • Your favorite bbq sauce
Instructions
  1. wash and pat ribs until dry(it has to be very dry for the ingredients to stick)
  2. Season the ribs with a tiny amount of salt. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then douse with some liquid smoke if using(not necessary). Rub in the olive oil and set to rest.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients except the bbq sauce; making sure to watch the salt and bouillon content. Rub the mix generously into the meat; then place into into a foil wrapper; making sure to wrap it tightly and folding the edges like a pocket. place it into your refrigerator to marinate for 8-12hours. Pre heat oven to 250 degrees, place the ribs in a lined tray and slowly cook in the oven for about 3½-4hours.(make sure all the holes and pockets of the wrapped ribs are tightly closed. That way, the steams do not escape; instead it cooks the ribs). After about 3½ hours, check the ribs for doneness. (After this stage, I let my ribs cook a little longer). Once the ribs are done and falling off the bone, drain off the excess fat/liquid; then brush the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce. Set your oven to broil. Broil your ribs on the lowest setting; making sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Once your ribs are brown(but not burnt) and sticky. Serve with your favorite side. I served mine with my yam mash(recipe on the blog)
Notes
If you like your ribs extra spicy, you could also crush some habaneros and mix with the bbq sauce before brushing on to the ribs...

 

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