I was walking through the meat department at the grocery store and they were selling boxes of pork short ribs on sale for $10, originally $24. It said there were 4-6 slabs in each box, which could mean a couple of meals for us. The ribs were imported from Denmark. I fell for the sale, which is hard not to do. For punishment I checked and a one-way, non-stop, weekday flight to Denmark with two-week advance notice is $1700.
Besides that local food tastes better and promotes local farms, container ships carry nearly 90% of the world’s international trade. Fuel for international freight carried by sea and air is not taxed, yet the packaging, refrigeration, and fuel result in high levels of air polluting emissions. Also, with the growth of global transport, invasive species often outnumber native species and bring pollution or health crises. In the U.S., the emergence of the West Nile virus where it never existed before is due to increased transport activity, along with the spread of malaria and dengue fever.
Before I learned to make ribs, I always bought the ones from Costco that already have the sauce on them. The first time, I pre-boiled them for about a half hour – I heard that makes them tenderer, but I learned it’s not necessary.
Recently we met some friends who took a barbeque rib judging class – yes, there is such a thing and it sounds fun! One thing I remember is you judge without sauce, just the rub. Also, the “falling of the bone” is not a true indication of perfect ribs. After you take a bite of the rib, you should be able to see the curve your bite left in the meat.
The ribs came out great. My daughter said, “These are some good ribs, not like the other ones we usually eat.” I’d say it was a success but next time we need to get the ribs from a farmer. The slow roasting on low temp is what does the trick – no need to boil first.
Notice when making dinner – it doesn’t have to be a science. You can usually get by with what you have. No red wine vinegar? Leave it out. No lemon juice? Forget about it. Got a lime instead? Fine. If you have a seasoning rub you like, skip the recipe and use the rub as indicated.
Baked/BBQ Ribs
2 T paprika
1 T brown sugar
1 t Lawry’s (or salt)
1 t garlic powder
1 t pepper
Sauce
1/2 C catsup
1 T yellow or brown mustard
1/4 C chopped onion
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T lemon juice
Rack of your favorite kind of ribs
Preheat oven to 250.
First, remove the silvery back by loosening one end with a knife, then grabbing and peeling it off (see video). Don’t be intimidated by this step, do your best because it makes a big difference.
Dry off the meat and pat both sides with your favorite rub. Put the ribs in a 9×13 pan, or a cookie sheet lined with foil. Put a piece of foil over the ribs and bake.
They’ll be hot enough after two hours, but I prefer to bake for 2 1/2 hours.
You don’t need sauce, but today Evan mixed together a puddle of catsup – maybe ½-1 cup – he just emptied what was left in the bottle, also emptied what was left in the mustard bottle, but that was only about a tablespoon, I chopped about ¼ of onion that was in the fridge from the other day. Then we put a splash of red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and lemon juice (about 2T each).
