Meltingly tender rack of ribs?

[TheSkiingGardener]

How do you get them that way? I've tried a few ways over the years but have never got the falling of the bone tenderness I would like.

So do you parboil? Or cover and cook long and slow? Or both?

I'd love to know too. i've had them like this in the US but never achieved that meltingness when cooking them myself.

I know lots of people parboil, but I don't bother. I have been doing them this way as per the recipe I posted a while back for about a year and they are delicious.

The secret I think is long, slow cooking, however you do that. In fact, with this recipe, you can lower the temp to 140 and cook for longer if you prefer too (I have done it that way by mistake once or twice!).

I am thinking of doing the pre cooking part for big batches before baby arrives, then freeze them so that we can whip them out and finish on the bbq or under the grill when baby comes and we don't have energy for proper cooking.

i've just put ribs on my shopping list - sounds nice - i am going to do them tonight! thanks

Let me know how it goes as I had to wing the recipe writing down as I didn't think the real recipe would read so well, "Slug in some tomatoe sauce until it seems enough. Upend the olive oil and swirl in pretty patterns..."

The secret is, over time, to work out what flavours you/the family prefer. So DH and I like less tomotoe and more chinese spices/olive oil/chilli.

We found a recipe in Tana Ramsays book called Grandmas Bones. You marinate and cook your ribs in Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce. If you marinate them individually they only take about 15 minutes to cook .....

Will dig out the recipe if you want it but they are so yummy. Cannot think of a better, quicker or more tasty way of eating ribs!

ooh - dc like worcester sauce (ds puts it in his beans) and soy sauce!
Can you dig please?

I'll have a go at your style bling tonight and report back. We've hot racks of ribs so will see if they fall apart, I think that's the right test.

Thanks.

I always steam them them about 15 minutes. I would par boil for a bit less time if I didn't have a steamer. When they are cool enough to handle they are smeared in whatever spcicy sauce you like, we prefer the chinese takeaway style. A bit of 5 spice, ground up star anis, salt, chili, garlic, sugar and mixed to a paste with tomato sauce and/or orange juice. Then roast until done. I judge that by sight and smell!

The recipe for Grandmas Bones .....

16 spare ribs separated
approx 3tbsp Worc Sauce
approx 6tbsp dark soy sauce

pre heat oven to 200c
place ribs onto a lightly grease tray and sprinkle on worc and soy sauce
roast in oven for 15-20 mins

And that's it!
Delish!! The best ribs I have ever had.

Whilst these marinades are good we have that sorted. Question is how do you get a rack of ribs that falls off the bone? I'll try the long and slow method tonight. Haven't ever given them as long as 2 hours before and see how that works. If that works we might start playing around with whicy marinade.

The best ribs are in Waitrose. The have been marinated and have extra bbq sauce to glaze them. We always cook then a bit longer and they literally do melt.

Waitrose Pork loin rack rib & BBQ rub 615g
£ 4.99

From scratch though, I par boil in water with a carrot, onion, bay leaf and a few peppercorns with a bit of vinegar to tenderise for about 10 mins. Then cover with Reggee Reggee sause and cook in hot oven until they look sticky and you can't wait any longer.

Yup skiing - it's the slow cooking that makes the difference. Ribs are a bit like pork belly that way.

Man, I could kill for some tonight myself now....

Pork belly is on the list to do soon having seen it on Raymond Blanc last night

The ribs in Waitrose do melt it is true. Unfortunately I can no longer eat or drink anything with vodka in. Blummin' good ski holiday that was but ouch.

They are also 4:99 each as opposed to about £1 for an uncooked rack and I'm trying to be good with money this month.

Pork belly is a winner. Great for having friends round because it's not something most people cook so looks impressive but it's cheap as...

Also, you can do the bulk of preparation in advance. I like this pork belly recipe on Waitrose.com but also think it's nice with crushed fennel seeds and an apple sauce on the side.

where do you get your ribs for £1 a rack by the way? I pay more than that, although admittedly, tend to buy them from Ocado.

Local butcher bling. Not the awning and stripes apron type but an underneath the railway arches backstreet place. Very good on the cheaper cuts, expensive cuts a bit iffy.

Ribs marinades for 1 hour and just gone in for an 8 o'clock tea.

Very nice! Much softer and more tender than before. Not yet a lento pull them apart which is the ultimate aim but lovely nonetheless. Maybe if I used a spice rub to tenderise for a day before cooking.

Will try that next time. Very nice dinner, thanks Bling

When I've done it before I boiled for 10 mins then smothered in sauce and put in the oven for an hour. Must've been quite a low temperature.

Mmmmm. Haven't had ribs for ages

yummy - we had ribs last night - the worc sauce and soy sauce version.
Put it in on about gas 3 - 4 ish (bottom oven aga) for just over an hour, and they were scrummy!
Thanks!

Yay - glad you enjoyed it.

I do think the longer you cook it, the better. So if you can bring yourself to give it an extra hour covered, it will be better. And a bit of lemon or vinegar or wine in the marinade helps too.

I'm glad they are on the right track now!

I've done them in the slow cooker before & they are so tender that they fall apart when you try to fish them out - no resemblance to a rack or a rib at all by the time they were finished. But they tasted fab.

I'd like them to stay in a rack though - I'd like to be able to whack them onto the BBQ for a final blast/singe.

That's the result I'm looking for Jetli. How long do you give them in the slow cooker, and are the all sauced up when you do?

Alternatively I guess 3 hours on something like 130 would probably do the trick.

I sauced them & did them on low all day - so I guess about 9 hours all told. Unrecognisable as ribs by the end of it though! But the flavour was good - it was a chinese-y style that I used but I'm sure they'd work just as well with a BBQ style sauce.

The slow cooker idea is a good one. I might do that when I finally get around to unpacking my new slow cooker.

That's the result I'm looking for Jetli. How long do you give them in the slow cooker, and are the all sauced up when you do?

Alternatively I guess 3 hours on something like 130 would probably do the trick.