Roasted pork ribs with fried parsnips & grain mustard butter

Brian Maule: Chef

Ingredients: serves 4 - 6

For the ribs:
Fried parsnips:
Butter:
Method:

For the ribs:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 230°C / 450°F / Gas mark 8. Take a knife and score the skin of the pork in a line between each of the bones. Lightly oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the joint in a roasting tray and cook in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (the skin should start to crisp in that time).
  2. Turn down the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas mark 6 and continue to roast for 45 minutes, making sure every so often you coat the pork with some of the oil in the tray. When cooked remove the meat from the oven and allow the pork to rest for about 10 minutes.
  3. To carve the pork, simply carve in between the bones, you could also take off the crackling first breaking it up into pieces to use as part of the garnish.

Fried parsnips:
  1. Whilst the pork is in the oven, peel and cut the parsnips into reasonable sized wedges remembering to cut out the core. Put into boiling salted water for a couple of minutes, then take them out and place in iced, salted water. As soon as the parsnips are refreshed take out of the water. Dry slightly then pan fry slowly in butter at a medium heat until the parsnips are golden brown all over. Season with salt (or for a different flavour you could use rosemary or thyme instead). When all the parsnips are coloured keep warm.
  2. Remove the excess fat from the roasting tray and place the pan on a medium heat. As it heats add water or stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Mix well and then pass through a fine sieve. (You could add some herbs or spices at this point). Keep warm.

Butter:
  1. For the mustard butter, ensure the butter has been left at room temperature for some time. You can mix in the grain mustard a little at a time tasting it as you go along for the strength of mustard you would like. Wrap in clingfilm and roll to resemble a sausage and then place in the fridge until hard.

To serve:

Present the pork with the fried parsnips, slice the butter into rounds and place on top of the pork, then pour a little of the sauce around the plate.

Recipe tips:

Instead of using parsnips, you could use sautéed caramelised apples. For this you would need 6 Cox apples. Peel and cut into wedges, fry in a little butter adding a spoonful of caster sugar to the apples, so that you get an even caramel consistency all around and cook slowly for 3-4 minutes. Serve in the same way as you would with the parsnip.

Instead of using the grain mustard butter you could add the mustard to the sauce you have from the roasting tray.