Roasted and grilled pork ribs

The meat was so tender it was falling off the bones. You’d think that the roasted and grilled pork ribs would be tough and dry by the time it has been dry-cooked to that stage of tenderness. But, no. The meat was moist.

The secret?

Slow roasting and fast grilling. The roasting takes two to three hours in a slow oven; the grilling, a mere 10 minutes.

But don’t think this is a complicated dish to cook. Despite the long cooking time, there really isn’t much to do except season the pork and stick it in the oven. You can watch a movie during the roasting part and not have to worry about overcooking the meat.

Of course, it’s a given that you have to choose pork ribs with a generous amount of fat. But don’t worry too much about it as most of the fat melts during cooking.

I found this rack of ribs at the supermarket two days ago, they were the meatiest ribs I’ve seen in a long time and my eyes almost fell off their sockets. I bought the whole rack and decided it would be perfect for Friday night’s dinner when both girls are home and the family is complete.

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Roasted and grilled pork ribs

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

Total Time

3 hrs 15 mins

 

Servings: 4 to 6

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

• 1 rack of pork ribs about 1.7 kilograms
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

For the barbecue sauce

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200F.
2. Mix together the salt, pepper and sugar. Rub all over the pork.
3. Cover an oven tray with a large piece of foil. Place the pork on the foil. Take another large piece of foil. Cover the pork loosely and crimp the sides. Roast in a 200F oven for two to three hours. For best results, check the meat after two hours, slice off a small piece and try the meat. If you’re happy with the tenderness, remove from the oven.
4. While the pork roasts, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.
5. Take the pork out of the oven. Peel off the foil. Brush the sauce all over the pork, including the sides and bottom.
6. Option 1: As soon as you take the pork out, turn up the oven temperature to the highest setting. If you have a “broil” option, choose it.
7. Transfer the pork to a rack, put it back in the oven and cook for five minutes. Take it out of the oven, brush it whatever remains of the sauce, out back in the oven and cook until nicely browned.
8. Option 2: About 10 minutes before you expect the pork to be done, fire up the grill — as hot as it can go. Grill the slab of meat, turning it over once one side is browned. When the meat appears to absorb the sauce, brush it again with the remainder of the sauce and continue grilling until nicely browned and charred.
9. Place the cooked meat on a chopping board. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
10. Chop into portions between the bones for a nice presentation.
11. 
12. To serve, arrange the sliced roasted and grilled pork ribs on a platter. They’re perfect with mashed potatoes or salad, or both.