Bear Ribs
Well-known member
So ran into some Country Style Ribs on sale for 1.29 a pound today and decided to post my cooking style on them. This is less a distinct recipe and more a method of making them edible.
First a touch of background. Country style ribs aren't ribs. You probably notice if you had one that there's a distinctive "Y" shaped bone that's nothing like a rib in them. In fact they're cut from a section of a pig's shoulder, a very muscular region that produces really tough meat. This is why country style ribs are so cheap but with the right cooking they can be fall-off-the-bone tender. Properly cooked, the mass of connective tissue and marbling of fat will dissolve and make the ribs really good. The trick is to use low heat for a long time.
My technique is time intensive but most of the time is sitting in the oven, you don't have to actually do much besides set a timer.
First heat your oven to 300 degrees and salt and pepper your ribs. Put them in a glass pan and cover them loosely with foil and put them in the oven.
Come back 2 hours later and take them out. Remove the foil carefully as it's going to unleash some hot steam. At this point you're probably mad at me for betraying you because these "ribs" look like something you wouldn't hand to your dog. But they'll get better. They're technically cooked at this point and safe to eat, but they'll taste as bad as they look.
Pour the water out, the ribs have released quite a bit by now and it's in the way. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees and cover your ribs with barbecue sauce. Smoky and sweet flavored BBQ sauces tend to work best, I find. Back into the oven for another hour.
Remove the ribs. Let them cool about five minutes. Brush another coat of sauce on if you like, they're ready to serve. Macaroni, salads, and green beans go well with country style ribs. Two ribs is an extremely solid meal for most people.
First a touch of background. Country style ribs aren't ribs. You probably notice if you had one that there's a distinctive "Y" shaped bone that's nothing like a rib in them. In fact they're cut from a section of a pig's shoulder, a very muscular region that produces really tough meat. This is why country style ribs are so cheap but with the right cooking they can be fall-off-the-bone tender. Properly cooked, the mass of connective tissue and marbling of fat will dissolve and make the ribs really good. The trick is to use low heat for a long time.
My technique is time intensive but most of the time is sitting in the oven, you don't have to actually do much besides set a timer.
First heat your oven to 300 degrees and salt and pepper your ribs. Put them in a glass pan and cover them loosely with foil and put them in the oven.
Come back 2 hours later and take them out. Remove the foil carefully as it's going to unleash some hot steam. At this point you're probably mad at me for betraying you because these "ribs" look like something you wouldn't hand to your dog. But they'll get better. They're technically cooked at this point and safe to eat, but they'll taste as bad as they look.
Pour the water out, the ribs have released quite a bit by now and it's in the way. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees and cover your ribs with barbecue sauce. Smoky and sweet flavored BBQ sauces tend to work best, I find. Back into the oven for another hour.
Remove the ribs. Let them cool about five minutes. Brush another coat of sauce on if you like, they're ready to serve. Macaroni, salads, and green beans go well with country style ribs. Two ribs is an extremely solid meal for most people.
