Fall-Apart Pork Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork ribs (8 to 10 ribs, meaty and with little fat; remove from the refrigerator about 40 minutes before roasting)
• 1 onion (coarsely chopped)
• 2 dentes garlic (crushed)
• 1 red chili pepper (chopped; may be replaced with crushed red pepper flakes)
• orange zest (zest from approximately 1 orange)
• 1 colher de sopa mustard (yellow or Dijon)
• 2 colheres de sopa brown sugar
• 200 ml dry white wine (1 glass)
• 1 orange juice (juice of 1 orange)
• 1 colher de sopa salt (The author also advises using 1 tbsp per kilogram of meat.)
• 2 colheres de sopa butter (melted; add during the final 5 minutes)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the ribs in the roasting pan in which they will be roasted. If possible, remove them from the refrigerator about 40 minutes before placing them in the oven to reduce thermal shock.

2. 2

   Add the coarsely chopped onion, crushed garlic, chopped red chili pepper, and orange zest to the roasting pan.

3. 3

   Add the mustard, brown sugar, dry white wine, salt, and orange juice.

4. 4

   Massage the meat well with your hands to distribute the salt and other seasonings over the entire surface. Cover the roasting pan and refrigerate to marinate for 2 to 3 hours. If possible, leave it overnight and turn the meat halfway through the marinating time.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, keeping the seasoned side of the meat inside the moist environment of the pan.

6. 6

   Roast the ribs covered for 2 hours, until the meat is very tender and beginning to pull away from the bone.

7. 7

   Carefully remove the aluminum foil. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast for another 40 minutes, uncovered, to brown and caramelize the surface.

8. 8

   Melt the butter. When 5 minutes remain in the cooking time, pour the melted butter over the meat and let it finish browning.

9. 9

   Remove the ribs from the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Serve with arugula salad and fried baby potatoes; the meat should be so tender that the bone comes away easily.

Notes

The recipe can be marinated overnight for more flavor; in that case, turn the meat halfway through the marinating time. The author suggests crushed red pepper flakes as an alternative to red chili pepper and notes that the wine may be omitted by those who do not consume alcohol at home. Serve with arugula and fried baby potatoes.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• pork
• roasted
• oven
• marinated
• gluten-free
• lactose-free
• lunch