Spare ribs are quite expensive (because you are paying for 50 percent bone!) but I am mad about them. There is something to be said for getting your fingers all sticky and eating tasty, tender meat straight from the bone.

When it comes to spare ribs I prefer pork unless the beef has been really well matured and mildly marinated.

I also love them to be sticky and spicy. In fact, the more bite it has the better. For this recipe you can use the hot ingredients as guidelines and add and reduce according to your own taste.

To serve 4-6 portions of oven baked ribs you will need:

2kg spare ribs, sliced into serving size pieces

12 black pepper corns, crushed

6 cloves, crushed

24 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons salt

6 Bay leaves, crumbled

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 cups dry red wine

½ cup water

1 lemon, sliced

1 tablespoon brown sugar
Crush 12 cloves of garlic and mix with the salt, cloves, pepper corns, paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar, wine and water.
Place ribs in a large, flat dish and paint liberally with the sauce.
Scatter the lemon slices over the meat.
Marinade for 2-6 hours.

Remove ribs from marinade and place in a shallow baking dish.
Add the reaming 12 garlic cloves, plus a cup of the marinade sauce.
Cover and bake at 160C for 45-60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes.
Remove cover and bake for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender, basting twice.