SOUTHERN CHARMS RICHARD TURNER

Restaurateur and meat magnate Turner gives you a recipe for all-american BBQ that won’t send your fitness up in smoke

A sticky-fingered encounter with a plate of ribs needn’t be a nutritional sin. “Authentic barbecue flavour doesn’t come from slathering meat with sugary, high- calorie sauces,” says Richard Turner, the man behind Pitt Cue and high- class butchers Turner & George. “Choose quality cuts and you can rely on the flavour of the meat itself.” Follow his cue and your tastebuds will benefit

as much as your abs. Amen to that.

A BABY BACK RIBS Taken from the top of a hog’s ribcage between the spine and the spare ribs, these loin ribs are packed with the antioxidant selenium. A 100g portion will provide 46% of your recommended daily dose, which boosts immunity as well as supporting thyroid function. B BEEF SHORT RIBS ‘ Flanken’ ribs are cut across the bone, so thin cross-sections remain in each piece. These are the only non-porcine cut to make Turner’s shopping list. Beef is high in zinc (crucial for protein synthesis), iron (to build red blood cells) and power-boosting creatine. C PORK SHOULDER

Slow-cooked in a smoker, the combo of muscle, connective tissue and fat in this cut makes it perfectly suited to cooking proper pulled pork or ‘Carolina cue’. With a hefty 20g of protein per 100g slab, it’s a mouthwatering way to expedite post-gym muscle repair, too. D PORK JOWL Pig’s heads were among the earliest meats to be cooked in makeshift fire pits. Don’t want to go the whole hog? The tender jowl is stuffed with vit B3 to aid digestion. It’s more cheeky than a Nando’s.