Step 1

Sprinkle the ribs with salt as soon as you can, up to 2 days in advance.

Step 2

On the day of cooking, season each rack with the Creole seasoning on both sides.

Step 3

Roughly chop the onion, slice the garlic head in two crosswise; there is no need to peel either. Peel the celeriac though and cut into chunks. Arrange all the vegetables in a roasting tin large enough to contain the ribs in a single layer.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 150C fan if available/300F/gas

Step 5

Brown the ribs on both sides in a large frying pan, in batches. Arrange in the roasting tray on top of the aromatics. Pour in the beer or lager and top up with boiling water, up to the racks, but not so full that the tray will be impossible to carry to the oven.

Step 6

Transfer the tray to the oven and roast for 3 hours, turning the racks over every 30 minutes and topping up the liquid with water.

Step 7

After the final turn (make sure the ribs are meat side up) drizzle them with maple syrup and return to the oven for another 30 minutes (that’s total roasting time 3½ hours).

Step 8

Leave the ribs in switched off oven, loosely covered with kitchen foil, for 15-20 minutes. Divide into individual portions and serve, with the pieces of roast celeriac on the side.