Lemon & Rosemary Lamb Ribs

Ribs are one of my favourite cuts of meat. I've previously posted about beef ribs, cooked for hours until falling off the bone. Similarly, pork ribs are barbeque stalwarts. Marinated in a punchy sauce, the charred fat combined with the tender meat is enough to make me dribble a bit.

I came across these lamb ribs in Morrisons. I went to the local branch in Peckham and was surprised to find a lot of the more unusual cuts of meat; oxtail, pig hearts, chicken hearts. These were really cheap - roughly £3 and it fed my housemate and I generously. They didn't require hours of cooking either, though the fat content means that they are definitely a treat rather than an every day meal. I marinated them overnight and the flavours of the lemon and rosemary penetrated the meat through to the bone. They are best eaten piping hot, whipped out straight from under the grill or from the barbeque, as the crispy lamb fat is a joy to eat, with the new potatoes lightly coated in the meat juices. A side of minted braised runner beans completed the meal.

Lemon & Rosemary Lamb Ribs

Serves 2

6 lamb ribs
1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

Two handfuls of small new potatoes
300gr runner beans
A small handful of mint
100mls chicken stock

The night before, slash the ribs across. Chop the rosemary and the garlic finely and add to a large dish with the mustard. Slather the mixture over the ribs and place in the fridge.

The next day, take the ribs out and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on to boil. Grill the ribs on a rack (or barbeque them) and grill for roughly 40 minutes on high, turning occasionally. Half way through, drain the fat from the roasting tray underneath and add the potatoes to it, tossing them so that they're covered in the juices. Return to under the grill.

Meanwhile, slice the runner beans diagonally. Add to a pan with the chicken stock and simmer until the beans are cooked, about 7 - 10 minutes. Take off the heat and scatter with the mint, chopped finely. Season with salt and pepper.

When we came to eating this, all you could hear were the sounds of munching and slurping. These were so delicious it was almost criminal.