Ribs

Or not. Sertes oldalas translates as 'pork side'. They looked like ribs at the butcher, and we cooked them as if they were ribs. Regardless of their exact provenance in the pig's anatomy, they were delicious -- ribs without the bones, full of tender, juicy, flavorful meat.

The recipe we used is a combination of two I have been salivating over for weeks: Sassy Radish's oven barbecue ribs and Pioneer Woman's best oven roasted ribs. I have pared both down to their basics, and recombined into a simple, pleasing and delicious rib recipe. All right -- it still takes a minimum of six hours, but you only have to work for approximately 10 minutes.

What you need:

• 1 large rack of ribs (or, in my case, a cut of pork which looks remarkably similar to ribs)
• Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons eros (hot) paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon salt

What you do:

• Mix together the sugar and spices in a small bowl.
• Line a roasting pan with aluminium foil. Smear the ribs with mustard, and then coat with the spice mix. Be sure to rub it in well, getting into all the cracks and crevasses. Cover pan and let the flavors develop in the fridge for at least three hours.

•  Bake at 250° for 2-3 hours, until meat is tender. Let sit for five minutes after removing from the oven before cutting into ribs.

For two people who went years without eating much meat, the past week has been an adventure: pork tenderloin, ribs, and (oh dear) pork sausages. For the foreseeable future, our dinners will revolve around fish, seafood and vegetables. And beans. Don't forget the beans.