Southern-style pork ribs with soft cornbread rolls

Ingredients

Pork ribs
21⁄2 kg American-style pork ribs on the bone

11⁄2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tbsp smoked paprika 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp onion powder

1⁄2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp chilli powder

2⁄3 cup water

400g can diced tomatoes

1 cup bourbon whiskey

1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce

1⁄4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar Coleslaw, to serve

NOTE: Allow for overnight marinating

Soft cornbread rolls

11⁄2 cups plain flour

1 cup polenta

1 tsp fine salt

11⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 Tbsp caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1⁄2 cup buttermilk

Extra plain flour, to dust

Pat ribs dry with paper towel. Combine 1⁄2 cup of the brown sugar with spices and rub all over ribs to coat. Cover and set aside for 4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Arrange ribs on 2 roasting pans. Put 1⁄3 cup water in each. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 4 hours or until meat is tender.
Meanwhile, to make soft cornbread rolls, line an oven tray with baking paper. Combine flour, polenta, salt, bicarb of soda and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in centre and add egg, olive oil and buttermilk. Using your hands, combine mixture into a slightly sticky dough.
Transfer dough onto a lightly floured bench. Using floured hands, divide into 8 equal portions. Roll into balls. Arrange on prepared tray 3cm apart.
Meanwhile, put remaining sugar in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add tomato, whiskey, sauces and vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until glaze comes to the boil and thickens slightly. Set aside.
Increase oven to 220°C. Put cornbread rolls in oven for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, remove foil from ribs. Brush ribs with 1⁄4 of the glaze and bake for 5 minutes. Brush with a little more glaze and bake for 5 minutes or until sticky.
Serve ribs with remaining glaze, coleslaw and warm rolls.