Pork! Ideas...

The Sweeper

Went to supermarket yesterday looking for the basics for ribs n wings - usually get a couple of packets of chicken wings and a couple of packets of prepared pork ribs - you can imagine the ones, most of the meat is between the bones because they've been trimmed well back. They're good to marinate and roast for about 30 mins.

Supermarket was all out so I went to the butcher instead. That's where it got interesting - I told him I was after ribs and he produces a side of pig. It's a long piece, about 18 inches, skin on, goes from the long ribs at one end down to essentialy ribless flank at the other (pork belly!?)

I had him cut it into two pieces, and take the skin off the piece with the thicker ribs, but leave it on the slimmer piece.

So now, suggestions? What'll I do with it? If left to my own devices I'll marinate the ribs and roast them low and slow as a single piece but I'd love to hear any input about different marinades, cooking methods, or any other ideas for what I should do with it!

CJhaughey

Cooking as a slab of ribs is fast and easy but if you cut the ribs into individual pieces the available surface area for holding delicious marinade is greatly enhanced:)
I usually make mine by simmering the ribs gently in water for 30-45 min, take out and cool then mix the marinade over them.
This makes them tender and reduces oven time
Marinade as long as you can overnight is good.
For marinade I like a little acidity with the sweetness, usually tomato sauce base with Worcester, garlic, Chipotle Tabasco, for smokiness and heat.
You only need to oven grill them for 20 minutes if you precook them.
Just don't let them dry out too much before you marinade them.

The Hill Billy

I use the following two quick & easy marinades for BBQ Ribs. I usually pre-cook the ribs for 15 to 20 mins, allow to cool & then apply the marinade.

'Indian'
Mix a jar of mango chutney with a couple of finely chopped chillis & a thumb's-worth of grated ginger. Add a squeeze of lime juice to 'loosen' the mix & add a bit of acidity.

'Chinese'
Mix a few tablespoons of honey with finely chopped garlic, a couple of finely shredded scallions, a few splashes of soy sauce, lime juice & some Chinese Five Spice.

(I've not given any real measures as the amounts I make vary depending on the amount of ribs that I have at the time, but I'm sure that you get the jist.)

The Sweeper

Okay, took the ribs - and again these are meaty ribs, skinned but not trimmed of meat.

Took the rib piece and cut it into large chunks of two to three ribs each. Wrapped them in tinfoil (made two packages) - thick wrapped, so they're well sealed. Into the oven at 175 degrees for 90 minutes in their foil packages in a roasting dish. No fan on the oven, so just heat, no fan.

After 90 mins, took them out and took them off the foil and returned them to the roasting dish they were in. Allowed to cool slightly.

In a bowl, mixed up:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark rum
chili sauce to taste
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 cloves of crushed garlic (or 2 tsps of garlic puree)
A good grind of black pepper

Mix the marinade thoroughly and pour the entire lot over the ribs into that roasting pan. Turn the ribs to coat them. Allow them to sit in the sauce, flipping at least once, for about 15 mins to half an hour. Return to the oven and bake for about 30 mins, constantly marinating over and over in the marinade. It thickens into a dark, sweet, sticky moreishness, and the rib meat falls off bones that are nearly soft enough to crumble.

Guill

1 onion finely chopped,
75ml of soya sauce
1 cloce of garlic
1 chilli, whatever strenght you like
1 tsp of tamerind paste (not critical if you dont have)
2 large table spoons of dark brown sugar.

all into a blender and then pour over the belly. this is amazing sauce. I recently done 196 ribs for a BBQ with this sauce, no on ate the steak or chicken! ribs were gone in no time!

Coat the belly and slow cook - yum yum.

You can add/remove chilli/garlic to taset as you make it again and again

d'Oracle

CJhaughey wrote: »

Chipotle Tabasco,

:eek:
You can get that here?

CJhaughey

Tesco used to sell it.
I got a few bottles there before, not sure if they still have it.

Guill

is it hot???? If so how hot?

Darkginger

Bear with me here, because it's a long time since I've cooked this (finding it difficult to find pork, as opposed to bacon, ribs) - but it's delicious.

You need a big pot. Divide the ribs into individual ribs, and put them in the pot. Splosh in about half a cup of a good soy sauce (Kikkoman's for example), chuck in 5 or 6 pieces of star anise, a tablespoon of dark brown sugar, and a large can of pineapple pieces. Add a couple of pinches of salt, and then cover everything with water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for several hours. Finally, bring the heat up, and boil rapidly to reduce the liquid to practically nothing - you should get a thick dark glaze on the ribs - careful here cos it's easy to burn them.

Take the ribs out, make sure there's no anise stuck to them, and suck the meat off the bones. You can add other spices if you like them - a pinch or three of five spice powder, maybe - but the method's the same.

laros

Chipotle Tabasco

You can get that here?

Tesco in Tullamore stock it

Guill

laros wrote: »

Tesco in Tullamore stock it

Couldn't find it but came accross habinero's in the finest food section.
Onlt 2:50 for 10 or so dried ones, good till 2012.
Packets says to never handle without gloves,
dont stand in umes when cooking etc....
Should i?

laros

Should i?

Have you ever handled chilli and then put your hands near your eyes....??
Don't....!!! :eek:


Have a look near the tomato ketchups,sweet chilli sauce and that type of sauces its on the shelf beside the normal Tabasco sauce. I saw it there at the weekend.


Lar

Guill

I've done that more times than i care to remember....