Tomato-Braised Pork Ribs
One of my family’s favorite ways for me to cook pork ribs (other than Chamorro BBQ) is to braise it in a thick and sweet tomato sauce.
My mom used to make this for us growing up, only she used tomato ketchup (I still make it this way sometimes).
What is braising, you ask? Braising is a form of cooking with liquid so that the moist heat breaks down connective tissues in tough cuts of meat, leaving them quite tender and fall-off-the-bone good.
I usually cook this dish in a large soup pot (I start it a couple of hours before I intend to serve it), but if you’re pressed for time, you can easily prepare this in a pressure cooker.
Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂
Tomato-Braised Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
- 2 slabs baby back pork ribs
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
Directions:
Rinse each slab of ribs, then trim off any excess fat. Separate each rib then place into a large pot over medium high heat.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar and garlic to the pot. Stir to evenly coat each rib with the liquid and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning.
Add the onions and water to the pot.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and molasses. Blackstrap molasses is not too sweet, but adds just the right amount of sweetness for this dish. If you don’t have molasses, you can add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar.
Now it’s time to start the braising process. Cooking the ribs in this delicious tomato sauce, long and over medium-low heat, is the key to creating fall-off-the-bone yumminess. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Place a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil over the top of the pot, tightly sealing it. Place a lid over the foil. Simmer the ribs for at least 2 hours.
This is what the ribs looked like before braising.
This is the “after” photo. Notice how the sauce reduced and thickened (it’s so good poured over steamed white rice!).
Serve with hot white rice (don’t forget the sauce, too) and ENJOY!
36 comments