There is honestly not much better in this life than a scorching Saturday arvo with your best mates coming around. The esky is packed with ice, the backyard cricket pitch is mowed, and the smell of sunscreen is in the air.
Days like these are all about catching up and having a laugh without things getting too serious. You want a beer that tastes like a proper beer but you also want to make it past sunset without needing a nap.
That is why lately the crew and I have been leaning heavily into the Hawkes Brewing Co Mid-Lager.
It is an absolute cracker of a tinnie. It has got that golden refreshing lager taste you crave when the sun is beating down but it sits at a very handy 3.5 percent alcohol. It means you can enjoy a few cold ones over a long afternoon while flipping burgers and solving the world’s problems with your mates.
It feels good to drink it too because it is unashamedly local. Hawkes Brewing is built on the legacy of the great Bob Hawke. He loved a beer, he loved his mates, and he genuinely loved Australia.
If you are ever knocking about in Sydney you have to make the pilgrimage to their brewery and Beer and Leisure Centre in Marrickville. It is an absolute time warp. Stepping inside is like walking into the best 1980s RSL you have ever seen, complete with vintage memorabilia and a Chinese bistro that serves up prawn toast that will change your life.
But the best part about grabbing a slab of Hawkes is that every beer sold helps fund Landcare Australia projects. You are literally helping the environment just by having a cold one with your friends. That is a pretty solid deal.
Of course you cannot have the gang around and crack into the Hawkes Mid-Lagers without sparking up the barbeque. It would be un-Australian.
A crisp lager needs something savory and a bit sticky to go with it. Forget boring old sausages for a second because we are stepping it up with these incredibly easy sticky lamb ribs.
Here is the game plan for your next legendary weekend get together.
The Menu: Backyard Legends
Sticky Rosemary and Honey Lamb Ribs
These ribs are cheap, cheerful, and dead easy to manage on the BBQ while you have a beer in your other hand.
What you need
- 2kg lamb ribs (ask your butcher for them in racks)
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed up well
- A big handful of fresh rosemary leaves chopped roughly
- Half a cup of olive oil
- Salt and plenty of pepper
- Half a cup of honey
- A good splash of soy sauce
How to do it
- Grab a big bowl and mix the olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper together.
- Chuck the lamb ribs in and rub that mixture all over them. If you have time let them sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. If not don’t worry about it.
- Get your BBQ medium hot. You don’t want screaming heat or the fat will just flare up and burn everything.
- Chuck the ribs on. Cook them slowly for about 30 to 40 minutes turning them every now and then. You want the fat to render down and get crispy.
- While they are cooking mix the honey and soy sauce in a mug.
- In the last 10 minutes brush that honey soy glaze over the ribs every time you turn them. They will get sticky and caramelized and look amazing.
- Pull them off and let them rest for five minutes before tearing into them.
The Sides
You need something fresh to cut through that rich lamb. Keep it simple so you can spend more time hanging out.
Zingy Summer Slaw: Forget the soggy supermarket stuff. Grab half a red cabbage and slice it thin. Grate two carrots. Finely slice one red onion. Toss it all in a bowl. For the dressing mix half a cup of good mayonnaise with the juice of two limes and a pinch of salt. Pour it over and mix it up. Done.
Charred Corn with Chilli Butter: Get some corn cobs with the husks still on. Soak them in a sink of water for twenty minutes then throw them straight on the BBQ. Let them steam in their husks for fifteen minutes. Peel the husks back (careful they will be hot) and put the corn directly on the grill plates to get some nice black char marks. Roll them in butter and sprinkle a tiny bit of chilli flakes on top for a kick.
Get the mates over, crack a Hawkes Mid, and get that barbie hot. Cheers to keeping it local.