Recipe: Bunratty Castle Pork Ribs with Honey-Whiskey Sauce

BUNRATTY CASTLE PORK RIBS WITH HONEY-WHISKEY SAUCE
"You'll never be able to duplicate the entertainment from the Shannon Heritage castle feasts (at Bunratty, Knappogue, and Dunguaire), but you can recall your visit with these pork spareribs featured on the Bunratty menu."

5 pounds pork spareribs
FOR THE HONEY-WHISKEY SAUCE:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup honey
1 cup Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup demi-glace or concentrated chicken broth

Put the ribs in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until fork tender, about 1 hour, skimming the water occasionally to remove the foam. Transfer to a large baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the demi-glace or concentrated chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce reduces by half, 10 to 15 mintues. Stir in the demi-glace.

Pour half the sauce over the ribs and bake, turning once, until the ribs begin to brown, 30-40 minutes.

Slice the meat into 4 or more ribs per person and serve with remaining sauce.

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Chronicle Books
Source: The Irish Heritage Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson