For a combination of St Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day treats, start with these tasty, sticky ribs for mains and finish with a sweet and simple sponge
Sticky glazed porter pork ribs
The first recipe is sticky glazed porter pork ribs – rich, slow-cooked and full of depth. The ribs are rubbed with a warming blend of smoked paprika, mustard powder, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and a touch of chilli, and then gently roasted with stock until they are tender enough to fall from the bone. The real character comes from the glaze, made with honey, dark soy sauce, ketchup, balsamic vinegar and Irish porter, simmered until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
The porter adds a deep malty note that works beautifully with the sweetness and spice. Once brushed and returned briefly to the oven, the ribs become shiny, sticky and irresistible. Served with a simple salad of grated carrot, shallots, baby spinach and fresh herbs tossed lightly in the glaze, it is a relaxed, crowd-pleasing dish that can be prepared ahead and finished just before serving.
For Mother’s Day, a flavoursome cake is always one of the simplest and most heartfelt gestures. This lemon curd and raspberry sponge is light, fresh and perfect for the season. A classic whisked sponge is layered with raspberry jam, softly whipped cream, mini meringues and generous dots of lemon curd, then finished with fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar. The combination of sharp lemon, sweet berries and crisp meringue makes every slice feel celebratory. It looks impressive yet is straightforward to prepare, and sharing it over a cup of tea is often all that is needed to make the day feel special.
Serves 4
You will need:
1 Preheat the oven to 140C. In a bowl, combine the chopped garlic, smoked paprika, mustard powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and chilli powder. Divide into 2 containers, one for the marinade and one for the glaze.
2 In the bowl with the first half of the spice mixture, add the pork ribs. Toss and rub well to coat the ribs throughout and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
3 Place the second half of the spices in a saucepan for the glaze. Pour in the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, balsamic vinegar and porter.
4 Bring the mixture to the boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until reduced by half or until lightly coating the back of a spoon. Remove the glaze from the heat and keep warm.
5 Place and arrange the pork ribs onto the roasting tray. Pour the chicken stock into the roasting tray and tightly cover with tin foil. Place in the oven for about 2.5 to 3 hours, until the pork ribs are falling off the bones when pulled.
6 Once the ribs are nearly ready, prepare the salad. In a bowl, combine the grated carrots, shallots, spinach, fresh parsley and fresh coriander. Season with a tablespoon of the porter glaze and add extra olive oil if desired.
7 Once cooked, brush the ribs with the glaze and roast for a further 5-8 minutes in the oven to help stick and give a shine to the ribs.
8 Remove the ribs from the oven and brush again with the glaze. Serve while warm with the salad.
Kevin Dundon’s raspberry and lemon curd Mother’s Day sponge cake. Photo: Tony Gavin
Raspberry and lemon curd Mother’s Day sponge cake
Serves 4-6
You will need:
1 Grease 2 x 20 cm / 8-inch sandwich tins and line the bottom of the tins with a round of baking paper. In a small bowl, sieve the flour and baking powder.
2 In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater for ease, beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest for 5 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
3 Carefully, fold in the sieved flour and baking powder then transfer evenly into the two prepared sandwich tins.
4 Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool.
5 Spoon the lemon curd into a piping bag if possible. Spread some of the jam on one sponge. Spoon the whipped cream. Scatter half of the mini meringues and dot half of the lemon curd. Top with the second sponge.
6 Decorate with icing sugar. Then, on the top of the sponge, create raindrop style dots with the rest of the lemon curd and mini meringues. Lastly, add the fresh raspberries to decorate. Enjoy within a day.
Do Me a Flavour butters, see domeaflavour.ie
Kevin’s Irish buy
Let’s celebrate something Ireland makes to a gold standard: butter! There are many ways to get the best of butter and adding flavours is a brilliant idea. Do Me a Flavour, based in Monksland, Co Roscommon, is a family-run business, created in 2013, which specialises in creating bespoke flavoured butters, seasonings and food solutions. The flavoured butters – from garlic and rosemary to chilli and lime – are perfect for finishing meats (like my pork ribs), fish or vegetables, or melting over hot potatoes. They bring instant depth and balance without extra prep. Pricing averages €3.50-€5 per pack, see domeaflavour.ie
