Ribiñitas 'n' Pina
Worth the work, wildly good, taco, torta, or burrito filling material
PREP: 1Hr || CURE: 12hr // BRAISE: 2-3Hrs || GRILL: 15mins || 2nd PREP: 20mins || 2nd COOK: 20mins
Ribs n Dry Rub
2 Slabs St. Louis Style Ribs
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar Sugar
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Coriander
3 Tbsps Dijon Mustard
Braising Materials and BBQ Sauce
1 Navel Orange (Cut into 8 slices)
2 Lemon Grass Stalks (Cut into 4in lengths)
1 Orange Habanero
1 Red Jalapeño or Korean Red Pepper
8 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 a Fresh Pineapple (Cut into 1/2in cubes, crushed over the pan)
4 inches of ginger cut into 1/4in Nubs
1-2 Larger Beers
1 Cube of Chicken Bouillon or Maggi Cube
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Cold Water
Crisping n Pina Perfection
Note (Per Pan Serving, double for multiple pans worth)
1 1/2 Cups 1 - 1/2in cut rib meat
1/3 Cup Coca Cola (Mexican coke if possible)
1/3 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 cup 1/2in cubed pineapple
1/3 Cup Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
Dry Rub the Ribs
In a medium bowl mix the Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Coriander, and Garlic Powder together and set aside
Next, Rinse ribs thoroughly under cold water
Pat completely dry and set face down on a baking sheet
Remove the silver skin from the under side of the skin and trim any errant pieces off of the slab
Rub a thin layer of mustard over the underside of the ribs
Then sprinkle a generous layer of the dry rub mixture evenly over the underside of the ribs
Flip the ribs over so the meat side is up and repeat steps 5 and 6 on the top side of the rib
Place the rubbed ribs in the fridge for up to 14hrs in the fridge to cure the pork with the seasonings
Braise the Ribs
Preheat an oven to 250/225 degrees Fahrenheit
Remove the ribs from the fridge
Place half the Oranges, Pineapples, lemon grass, Habaneros, Red Chilies, Onion, Garlic, and ginger around one slab of ribs on a baking sheet
Pour the beer into the baking sheet along with the maggi cube. Add enough beer so the baking sheet has at least a 1/4in of liquid in its base
Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminium foil
Repeat steps 3-5 for the second rack of ribs
Place both pans into the over and cook for 2 - 3hrs, checking for temperature and smell.
The ribs should be aromatic, the vegetables in the pan should look cooked through, and the ribs should temp read at 190 degrees in their meatiest parts.
Remove the cooked ribs from the pans, and pour the entirety of the braising materials and meat drippings into a medium sauce pan
Try to pick out any blood, or impurities that have come out during the cooking process and discard them
Make the Barbecue Sauce & Grill the Ribs
Heat the sauce pan with all the braising materials under high heat, bringing it to a rolling boil, and letting it reduce by half
Taste the sauce for salt, sweet, and vinegar, add/adjust accordingly
Add the additional 2 Tbsps of Dijon mustard and stir to combine
In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and the water until a semi thick slurry is made
Add the mixture to the sauce pan and bring to a rolling bowl, stirring as the sauce thickens
Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium temperature
Place the ribs bones side down on the grill and brown approximately 4 mins
Flip the ribs to meat side down grilling for an additional 4mins
While the ribs are face down on the grill, brush the bones side with the freshly made BBQ sauce
Flip the ribs again cooking on the bones side again, for about two minutes.
Now brush the meat side of the ribs with the BBQ sauce
Flip the ribs one last time to caramelize the BBQ sauce on the meat side of the ribs, removing when browned about 2mins
The ribs can be cut and eaten just like this, but for further flavors see below
Crisping / Reheating in a Pan
Heat a sauté pan under medium high heat
Cut the meat off of the ribs into 1/2in to 1in chunks
Place the rib meat, along with the cut pineapple, in the sauté pan
Add a bit of residual BBQ sauce, Soy Sauce, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Coca Cola to the pan
Stir to incorporate the ingredients together and then let sit in the pan about 4minutes (you want to let the liquid evaporate off, and a strong browned crisp to develop on one side of the meat
Stir and scrap the bottom of the pan as you do to mix the meat in with it’s caramelized bits
Cook for an additional two minutes or so and serve
Notes
Ideally this is going immediately into tacos, but it could also be great in a lettuce boat
Further testing of cooking the ribs in a glass pan for more gentle braising instead of the baking sheets is needed