Braised Country-style Pork Ribs

I adore short ribs and order them whenever I find them on the menu. I've eaten them with polenta, with mashed potatoes, with risotto. I've had Asian style, Italian style, wine infused, and have mostly enjoyed what my favorite restaurants have to offer. I've made them at home in the slow cooker as well as in the Dutch oven. You might say I haven't met a short rib I haven't liked. So when I caught an episode of Food Network TV which featured a less expensive cut of meat, country style pork ribs, in a similar preparation, I decided at once to try them.

Of course, I made a number of small tweaks here and there to suit my taste. Here's the recipe I used.

Serves 4 - 6
4 1/2 - 5 lbs bone in country-style pork ribs (sometimes called pork loin spareribs)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 carrot, minced
1 rib celery, minced
1 large onion, chopped finely
4 tbs sun dried tomato paste (look for it in a tube in the Italian food section of your grocery)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat the ribs dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches. Remove the ribs as they brown and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tbs oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, celery, and onion, as well as some salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes to remove the raw flavor.

Pour in the cider vinegar and the red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the bits of fond, then add the red pepper flakes and the bay leaves. Return the ribs to the Dutch oven and add enough chicken stock to reach halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring the pan to a boil, then cover and place in the oven.

Braise the meat for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and cook for another 1/2 hour to allow the liquid to reduce a bit and the pork to brown.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.
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TASTE NOTES
The smells from this dish will make you move up your dinner hour. I could barely wait to eat the smell was so tantalizing. These ribs are truly fall-off-the-bone tender, yet they are moist and can be cut with a fork. The ribs are large, so one or two will satisfy most appetites. Served over mashed potatoes with a bit of the reduced cooking liquid spooned over the top, this is a dish that's comforting and satisfying. The flavors are deep and delicious and I'm quite certain the leftovers will make delicious sandwiches.