How to make the best pork ribs and the best practices at braising is not that really hard, many people in my country Barbados already have these skills, but if you want to brush up on your skills or learn something new then read on.
Tips
Below are some tips I share with the best in the business. Braised Pork Ribs Stew
1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don’t buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!
2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!
3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don’t it blocks the flavor intake.
4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
5. Don’t even think about boiling those ribs! Above all else, boiling the meat causes it to lose all its flavor. If you just have to pre-cook your ribs before slapping them on the cooking grate, try steaming your slabs instead as this will help lock the flavor in.
6. Before placing your ribs on the grate for Barbecuing or smoking, make sure you coat the metal with a generous helping of oil.
Barbecuing demands constant attention!
7. As soon as it goes on your grate, stay close by and keep an eye on it. Watch the cooking temperature and avoid going above 250 degrees Fahrenheit — the best ribs are cooked slowly over indirect heat for about five hours.
8. Put down that fork! Always use tongs to handle your meat once it’s on the grate. Why pierce the meat and let the flavor ooze out if you don’t have to?
9. If you’re going to baste during cooking stay away from anything with sugar in it. Your best bet is to use vinegar and/or water-based products only.
10. Only lay on the BBQ sauce in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. Any sooner than that and the heat will cause the sauce to caramelize and burn your meat.
11. Let the ribs cool for 10-15 minutes before you serve them up. This is just a courtesy — you don’t want to singe your guests’ mouths with smoking hot sauce! You could lose some friends.
Get the best results
The results of braising are comforting, healthy dishes that retain the nutrients of the ingredients and require little fat. For braising, foods are slowly cooked in a relatively small amount of liquid in a covered pot on top of a stove or in an oven. This is closely related to stewing, although with less liquid and bigger pieces of food, usually.
Large saucepans are ideal for braising. The versatile Dutch oven is my favorite and can be used on top of the stove or in the oven. Contrary to the general rule that healthful foods should be prepared as close to mealtime as possible, braised dishes are often times better when prepared the day before.
This waiting period allows the flavors to meld. In addition, when these dishes are refrigerated, any fat forms on the surface allowing easier removing when reheating.
How to Braise
Braise like a pro and get those happy faces from friends and family when they eat your food. I usually shop at the Bridgetown market for my meat but be sure to get the best cuts wherever you shop.
1. Start with sturdy cuts of meat and season them well.
2. Brown on all sides and transfer to a plate.
3. Add an aromatics, such as onion and celery and cook them according to the recipes instructions.
4. Return meat to the pan, pour in the liquid, and bring to a boil.
5. Cover the pan and cook over low heat.
Add Elegance To Grilling
It does not matter if you’re grilling or braising, always keep best practices for the perfect pork taste.
Whether it’s a small gathering of family members or an invitation extended to friends and neighbors, entertaining can take on a delightfully casual approach when it’s done outdoors.
Add instant sophistication to a casual atmosphere with these entertaining and grilling tips guaranteed to impress every guest.
Be Courteous to Your Guests
Be sure to note any food restrictions or allergies and prepare alternate options.
Prepare ahead. Cut meats and vegetables, set the table, and toss the salad before the guests arrive. This will give you more time to relax and enjoy your company.
Create an Ambiance
White dinnerware always looks appropriate and pairs nicely with casual double-duty prep and serving pieces, such as rustic wood cutting boards for an outdoor meal.
Add instant elegance to your casual get-together with flowers. Just trim a few stems from the garden and arrange them in glasses or bowls.
Offer a few different bottles of wine at the table for a great conversation starter. The best wines to serve are ones that pair well with all types of food and do not require additional aging once purchased. For example, Rioja, one of Spain’s oldest and most renowned wines, includes reds, whites and rose at all price ranges, aged to be ready to drink at purchase and complement meat, fish and vegetables.
Efficiency Is Key
To speed up grilling time, partially precook chicken, red meat, potatoes, carrots and other slow-cooking food in the oven or microwave. When grilling, if you need more than one cooking temperature, mound some coals on one side to create a hot section and spread coals out on the other side for a cooler section.
Grill Smart
When grilling food on skewers, cut pieces into chunks that are too large to fall through the grate. Or for easy cleanup, consider using foil packets to grill onion rings, slices of zucchini and squash or even pineapple rings.
When basting, use two brushes -one green and one red. Use the green brush to baste raw meat. Once the meat has begun to cook, switch to the red brush to continue the process. This will help to avoid contamination.
Barbeque and Grilling Mistakes To Avoid
Your average backyard cook is no expert in the barbecue or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no grilling cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.
No, your average outdoor cooking enthusiast makes more mistakes with BBQ grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ends up dry and tough time after time, despite marinating for hours. Or the meat is burnt or cooked too long.
These mistakes are made time and time again because your average backyard cook usually does not know any different. He does not automatically know How to Barbecue.
Here are some of the more common mistakes and do’s and don’t made in BBQ grill cooking:
1) If you started with frozen meat, make sure the meat is thawed completely. Trying to cook the inside of a still-frozen piece of meat is next to impossible without burning the outside.
2) When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. Lighter fluid taste will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the coals down first.
3) Never poke the BBQ meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most deadly for your barbecue. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and right into the bottom of the barbecue pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Use a long set of tongs to turn the meat.
Lower the heat
4) Lower the heat. Except for grilled steaks, which need a quick searing, cook slowly over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and it will make the meat tender and juicy.
5) Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it changes the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the lid also increases your chances of flare-ups.
6) This is more of a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without washing it first. Mixing the cooked with the raw just begs for someone to get sick.
7) After removing the meat from the bbq grill or pit, let it rest for at about 5-10 minutes. Cutting into or slicing the meat immediately after pulling it from the cooker will cause all the juices to flow out of the meat and onto the platter.
Now that you had a good read of this article, I hope those pork ribs or anything you prepared do come out tasting awesome.
