Nothing compares to the tender, spicy taste of BBQ beef ribs. Beef ribs are easy to make if you know how. The trick is to cook the ribs long enough that the meat is falling off the bones. This recipe will take two and a half hours to cook. The temperature to cook the ribs on is 350 degrees F.
I cook my ribs in a blue enamel ware oval covered pan. If you don’t have one of these pans, you can use any pan and cover it with aluminum foil.
The first step is to assemble your ingredients. If you have a large rack of ribs, you will want to cut them down so they will fit in a frying pan or an electric skillet. Try to leave three bones per section of meat.
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon chicken fat or bouillon
2 tablespoons safflower oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons dried rosemary or 3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon A-1
To taste: garlic powder, McCormick’s Montreal Steak Spicy Grill Seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper
Begin by putting the rosemary, chicken fat or bouillon and oil into a frying pan.
Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to gently bubble.
Flour the beef ribs so all the sides are covered. Then put the ribs, one section at a time into the frying pan.
Brown the ribs.
As the ribs brown, set them into the pan that they will be baking in. Once all the ribs are in the pan, add the additional spices to taste as well as the soy sauce and A-1 sauce.
Pour the beef broth and wine in the bottom of the pan. Then add enough water so the liquid is covering the sides of the ribs. See the photo above to get a better idea of how much water to add.
Cover the pan and place it in a 350 degree F oven. Set the timer for one hour. When the timer goes off, check the ribs to make sure there is still plenty of water in the pan. If there is not enough water in the pan at that point, add more being careful not to get it on the top of the ribs.
Put the pan, covered back into the oven for another hour. When that hour is up, check the ribs. The meat should be tender enough that it will easily fall away from the bone using a fork.
Once the beef ribs have cooked for two hours, remove the pan from the oven, remove the lid, check the water level one last time. If it is low, add more water.
Before putting the ribs back into the oven for the final half hour of cooking, cover the top of the ribs in BBQ sauce. How much you use will depend on what your family likes. I like to put it on thick. Remember the heat will cause it to run and thin.
Cover the pan again and put it back in the oven. Set your timer for thirty minutes. When the timer goes off, the beef ribs are done.
Filed under Elegant Cooking Main Meals, Meat Recipes by on Dec 10th, 2009. 15 Comments. 
If you are like me, you love coming up with new recipes using ingredients you have on hand. Nothing is more satisfying to me than growing and raising my own food.
The banana leaves came from a dwarf banana I am growing in a pot. If you don’t grow bananas, ask someone who does if you can have a couple of leaves. An alternative is to check with ethnic markets in your area. Ask for banana leaves that have been grown organically. Sometimes if they don’t have banana leaves on hand, they can order them. Put the extra leaves in the freezer so you have them when you need them.
Sage, rosemary, chili peppers and garlic are spices that most gardeners grow. If you do not grow these, ask around. Organic is best. Feel free to dry some for winter use, but do keep the leaves of the sage and rosemary whole. The flavor lasts better if you wait until you use them to grind them. I also dry my garlic as whole cloves, powdering it as I need to. The same goes for any peppers from the garden. If they are small, I dry them whole. If they are larger, I cut them in half or quarters so they do not appear dry on the outside and mold on the inside.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! A delicate banana like flavor does come through as does the warmth of the spices from the wine. The chili pepper gives a hot, spicy taste to the meat. Feel free to substitute the ingredients to suit your families taste.
Enchanted Tropical Pork Chops
- 2 fresh banana leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or powdered
- 1 dried chili pepper – you may omit this ingredient if your family does not like hot, spicy food.
- 1 teaspoon ‘Alaea Hawaiian’ red sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
- 2 1″ thick pork chops
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup Witches’ Brew – this is a red wine spiced with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Feel free to substitute your favorite wine if you cannot find this one.
Rinse off the banana leaves with water. Place them in the pan you will be using to bake the pork chops. Set this aside.
Put sage leaves, rosemary, both garlic cloves, whole chili pepper, red sea salt and peppercorns in a spice grinder.
Grind until all of the herbs and spices are finely ground.
Spread finely ground spice mixture onto a plate. Make sure it is evenly distributed.
Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.
Place the first pork chop on the plate pressing lightly.
Turn the pork chop over and repeat the process.
Place the first pork chop in the pan that contains the melted butter and olive oil. Cut diagonal slits in the top of the pork chop.
Pick up the second pork chop and repeat the process making sure both sides are covered in spices.
Put the second pork chop in the skillet next to the first pork chop, making sure to cut slits in the top of it. If any spices remain on the place, brush them off into the skillet.
Cook chops over medium heat for about ten minutes.
Turn the pork chops over and cut diagonal slits on this side as well. Cook for ten more minutes. Both sides of the pork chops should be lightly brown at this point.
When the pork chops are brown, remove them one at a time from the skillet and place in the center of the banana leaves. There should be one pork chop on each banana leaf. Pour the liquid remains of the skillet over the pork chops.
Roll one side of the banana leaf towards the pork chop. Then roll the second side towards the pork chop. Your pork chop should now be rolled up in the banana leaf.
Turn the banana leaf over so the two ends are on the bottom of the pan. The weight of the pork chop will keep the banana leaf from unrolling and exposing the pork chop.
Repeat this process with the second banana leaf and pork chop.
Pour ¼ cup Witches’ Brew or your favorite wine over the banana leaves making sure to get some in the ends of the banana leaves where the pork chops are.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Be warned, the intensely nutty fragrant smell of the banana leaves cooking will transport you to a tropical island.
When the time is up, your pork chops will be done. Remove the pan from the oven. Move the banana leaved pork chops to a plate using a spatula. Allow to cool briefly, then carefully remove banana leaves from the pork chops. They will both be hot, so use caution. Serve the pork chops with your favorite side dishes. We chose baked honey Brussels sprouts with shells and cheese for our side dishes.
Filed under Elegant Cooking Main Meals, Meat Recipes by on Oct 26th, 2009. 4 Comments.
