Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs

[Draggingtree]

Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs

 

Recipes courtesy Melissa d'Arabian

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 carrot, chopped
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  
• Creamy Polenta, recipe follows
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flavor, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, and then add the red pepper flakes and bay leaves.

Add the ribs back to the pan and add enough stock to reach halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last half hour, uncover to allow the liquid to reduce and the pork to brown.

Serve the ribs with Creamy Polenta, spooning the sauce on top, and garnishing with parsley.

Creamy Polenta:

• Vegetable cooking spray
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 1/3 cups half-and-half, divided
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  
• 1/3 cup coarse polenta, or corn grits
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  
• Special Equipment: slow cooker
  

Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray (for easier clean up) and preheat on high.

In a medium saucepan, add the milk, 1 cup half-and-half, 1 tablespoon butter, and polenta. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to keep the mixture lump-free. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once or twice per hour. Once you are ready to serve, open the slow cooker and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining 1/3 cup half-and-half, and Parmesan. Salt and pepper conservatively since the polenta will be served with a robustly salted dish.