Spare Ribs with Potato Salad

Rinse the spare ribs, pat dry with paper towels and place in a wide, shallow dish. Rinse thyme, shake dry, pluck leaves and put in a mini processor.

Drain tomatoes (reserving oil) and coarsely chop. Add with pickled peppers, some salt, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 5-6 tablespoons of water to the processor and puree to a creamy paste.

Coat spare ribs with the paste. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and cook in a pot of boiling salted water until knife-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse under cold running water and peel. Place in a bowl and let cool slightly.

While the potatoes are cooking, clean mushrooms and cut into very thin slices. Rinse scallions, shake dry and cut into thin rings.

Rinse the parsley, shake dry, pluck off the leaves and chop finely.

Place spare ribs on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at  400°F for about 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.

Stir together vegetable broth, remaining balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of reserved tomato oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Cut cooled potatoes into slices and mix with the dressing. Carefully fold in mushrooms, scallions and parsley and season to taste.