The ribs at Cain & Grain are an absolute Friday favourite here at the Finest office. If you haven’t had a chance to try them for yourselves it is safe to say that I am considerably green with envy- I wish I had to opportunity to lose my St. Louis Rib virginity all over again.
All year round they have four fabulous sauces for you to choose to smother your juicy juicy ribs in. There is sweet and sticky barbeque for the vanilla people, Cane & Grain which is a rum based barbeque sauce which is as tangy as you would expect, Kansas City which has a little bit of a kick to it and finally Hot as F**k for the spice-heads out there.
I’m a Kansas City girl myself- I like the level of spice and the fact that the sauce doesn’t overpower the actual flavour of the meat. However, that was until I tried the Chinese-Inspired special sauces they have on this February.
First up is the Chinese Barbeque which was an utter game-changer. Everything you know and love about Barbeque but with an extra chilli kick and new level of aromatic flavour from the additions of ginger, cloves, and star anise. It was the kind of taste you expect from Korean Barbeque, and it went so well with the succulent pork ribs.
The second is Rick’s Schwifty Szechwan Sauce– which will sure make you chuckle if you are a fan of the adults-only Sci-Fi cartoon Rick & Morty. Inside Joke vibes. Anyway, this sauce is flavoured with soy sauce and ginger which proved a welcome change from the classic smoky flavours I expect from Cane & Grain. It had a nice tingle but wasn’t on the hot-side, so this makes an excellent choice for those of you who are pathetic when it comes to spice.
These special sauces are available through the whole of this month in celebration of the Chinese New Year this weekend- so make sure you pop down and give them a try before it is too late.
Cane & Grain, 49 -51 Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1NA
0161 839 7033
www.caneandgrain.co.uk