Can I Marinate The Lamb Ribs Overnight?

Our answer

Nigella's Lamb Ribs With Nigella And Cumin Seeds (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) uses lamb ribs, which come from the breast of the lamb- the area just above the front legs (foreshank). In the US they are sometimes labelled as Denver ribs (if sold as a rack) or riblets (if cut into individual ribs). They are similar to pork spare ribs and are a fairly fatty cut of meat. The ribs in the recipe are not actually marinated but just coated in the mixture of soy sauce, oil, garlic and spices to impart some flavour. As there is not a thick coating of meat on the ribs, it is not necessary to leave the ribs to soak in the glaze to absorb the flavour or tenderize the meat.

You may be able to cook the ribs on a barbecue but we can't particulaly recommend it as the ribs contain a fair amount of fat. As this fat renders out, it will drip onto the coals (or gas), causing flare ups. The flames can char the outside of the meat very quickly, leaving it burnt on the outside, particularly as the cooking time is quite long. The garlic and spices will also burn if this happens, giving a bitter flavour. It might be better to cook the ribs in the oven until they are tender and then just give them 5 minutes on the barbecue at the end of the cooking time.