Juicy Marbles

Spicy Mustard Ribs

with Chicory and Apple Salad

Some things look way more complicated than they are. The same can be said for these two heroes of your next dinner party. The preparation involves very little active cooking, which can be very convenient for hosting since there’s always something you need to take care of at the last minute (like polishing your cutlery, walking your dog, or a nice doom-scrolling sesh). But this does not mean we are compromising delicious flavor or mouth-watering texture; we never do that. These slightly spicy ribs pair perfectly with bitter, crunchy chicory and apple salad, served with maple-candied walnuts, quick pickled shallots, and shaving of your favorite hard cheese. I know you are here for the ribs, but don’t skip the salad because our gut microbes yearn for fiber.

Ingredients

Ribs
• 2-3 packs of Marbles ribs

Dry rub
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground coriander

Mustard sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp apple cider vinegar, distilled vinegar, or white wine vinegar

Chicory and apple salad
• 3-4 heads of chicory (red or white Belgian endive)
• 1 apple
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 30 g walnuts
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• A pinch of flaky salt
• 1 shallot
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• Hard cheese

40 MIN / SERVES 3-4

preparation

Ribs
1. Make a dry rub by mixing 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp chili flakes, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp ground coriander.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
3. Thoroughly season the ribs with dry rub, wrap them in aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, 6 tbsp whole grain mustard, 1 tsp salt, and 6 tbsp vinegar to make the sauce.
Remove the ribs from the oven and carefully unwrap the foil. Change the oven settings to 200 degrees Celsius. Spoon half of the sauce over the ribs and return them to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until they start getting crispy.
5. Pile the ribs on your favorite serving plate, spoon over leftover mustard sauce, and serve them with chicory and apple salad.

Salad
1. Prepare chicory by removing the base of the stem, separating the leaves, and washing them.
2. Finely slice an apple into thin pieces (I like to use mandoline for this) and transfer it to a bowl filled with ice water and 2 tbsp lemon juice to prevent oxidation.
3. Add pecan nuts to a pan and slowly toast them on low-medium heat. After 3-4 minutes, add 2 tbsp maple syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the nuts start to caramelize. Remove from heat and season with a pinch of flaky salt.
4. Thinly slice 1 shallot (again, I recommend using a mandoline). Season with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt, mix well, and let them marinate for a few minutes. This will take the edge off the shallots (mellow out the strong oniony flavor and smell) and make them more pleasant to eat.
5. To assemble the salad, season the leaves with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Spread them nicely on a plate, nestle in apple slices and pickled shallots, sprinkle with toasted pecan nuts, and shave the hard cheese of your choice on top.