Ingredients

Method

• 1.6 kg tomatoes (a mix of salad and cherry), quartered
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 T balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• a pinch of sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 stick cassia
• 3 pods cardamom
• 1.2 kg free-range boerbok rib (or lamb or mutton rib)
• 1 cup white wine
• 25 g tomato paste
• 4 large tomatoes
• bietou berries, to garnish
• dune spinach, blanched, to garnish
• sorrel leaves, to garnish
• mangetout, blanched, to garnish
• cherry tomatoes, skinned, to garnish

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the salad and cherry tomatoes in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and scatter with the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Crush the cassia and cardamom pods using a mortar and pestle and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelise. Remove from the oven and gently squash the tomatoes to release all the juices.

Season the boerbok rib with salt and pepper. Pour half the roast tomato mix over it (chill the remaining mix) and use your hands to squeeze out all the juices and massage them into the meat. Cover with clingfilm and marinate overnight.

Place the remaining squashed roast tomatoes, white wine and tomato paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and blend. Strain and reheat just before serving.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Score the skins of the large tomatoes and plunge them into hot water for 30 seconds before peeling. Cut the peeled tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds using a teaspoon (retain the seeds). Arrange on a baking tray and bake, skin side down, fro 2 hours.

Place the whole marinated boerbok rib high over hot coals and grill, turning frequently until crisp on the outside and cooked through.

Serve the grilled rib with the warmed tomato sauce, confit tomato halves and a spoonful of tomato seeds. Garnish with fresh bitou berries, dune spinach, sorrel leaves, mangetout and skinned fresh cherry tomatoes.

Cook's note: A cold potato salad made with Velddrif fleur de sel, sour cream, thick yoghurt or buttermilk and sorrel leaves is the perfect partner to the meat. The bitou berries enhance the sweetness of the tomatoes.

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