Oven-braised BBQ-style beef back ribs with roasted-garlic twice-baked potato

Cut the ribs into individual bones; leave the membrane on.

Peel and chop garlic. Salt the meat directly, slightly over-seasoning since some goes to the brine.

Put ribs and garlic in a sealable bag with a big pinch of sugar and red wine vinegar diluted about one part water to two parts vinegar; push out the air, seal, mix, meaty side down.

Marinate in the fridge overnight.

Next morning drain the ribs into a small baking tray, scrape off the garlic, position convex side up and crimp foil tightly over the top.

Coat the russet in a little oil and a lot of salt and stab it a few times.

Cut the root ends off a few garlic cloves, skin on, coat in a little oil and wrap tight in foil.

Bake ribs, garlic pouch and potato (directly on the oven grates) at 300F / 150C for about three hours.

Take the garlic out after about an hour, when golden brown and soft.

After three hours, check the ribs: the meat fibres should push apart with a finger without falling off the bone. The potato is done when squishy.

Pour off and save the juices and rendered fat. Taste a scrap of meat and add more salt now if needed.

Halve the potato, scoop out the flesh leaving a thin wall, and mash it with a spoon or two of rib fat and some rib broth until smooth and moldable.

Squeeze in the roasted garlic, grate in pecorino, season with salt, plenty of pepper and thyme leaves, and pile all the filling into one skin.

For the BBQ sauce, stir into ketchup a spoonful of molasses, a big squeeze of mustard, some soy sauce, hot sauce and smoked paprika; taste and adjust for smokiness, pungency and acid.

Broil the ribs a couple of minutes, rotate, and brown all sides before any sauce; put the potato in on the grate.

Brush on a thin layer of sauce and broil a couple of minutes, watching for burning; paint on a second thin layer and broil again.

Plate the ribs and potato, finish with more thyme, sauce on the side.