Pork Ribs

Have you tried marinating pork ribs in vinegar? It might seem strange at first but bear with us. The acidity of vinegar breaks down the muscle fibres in the meat. Now, we don’t want our ribs to absorb too much tartness, so soak your ribs in vinegar for 30 minutes, max.

Tangy and sweet apply cider vinegar pairs well with pork, but white vinegar will work too. If you’re hesitant about the flavour, dilute ¼ cup of vinegar in 4 cups of water. But remember — do not wash the vinegar off the ribs after they’ve soaked. Washing meat leads to cross-contamination, spreading bacteria from the uncooked meat across your kitchen. Instead, simply pat the ribs dry with paper towels, and you’re ready to go.

There are a couple of ways to prevent your ribs from drying out. The value of each one depends on the method of cooking.

To prevent ribs from drying out in the oven, wrap them in a cocoon of foil with plenty of liquid and marinade inside. To prevent them from drying out on the barbeque, give them regular basting with your marinade to ensure the meat stays dripping.

Pork ribs absorb flavour easily because the meat is relatively thin (compared to a roast, say), and the rack can be thoroughly drenched in marinade.

However, we have found that removing the chewy silver skin on the ribs and scoring the meat between the bones allows your marinade to really soak in. Peter Bouchier butchers would be happy to strip the silver skin for you before we send your delivery order out.