Country-Style Ribs

I searched for a new country-style rib/strips recipe on allrecipes just to try something different than our go-to country-style ribs recipe, Honey and Apple Ribs (though those are real good).  This is one I opted to try since it got good reviews.  Unlike many of the commenters, I chose to purchase the items I didn't have, namely celery salt (and whole cloves, which I found we already had) in order to do it tried-and-true style.

Country-Style Ribs

1/3 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 lb bone-in country-style pork ribs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
1/4 c ketchup
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper.

Add ribs, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.


In a large skillet, brown ribs in oil.


Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.


Sprinkle with onion.

Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over ribs.


Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1-1/4 hours or until meat is tender.


Remove ribs to a serving platter; keep warm.

Strain liquid; skim fat. Serve sauce with ribs. This was an option I ended up skipping.  I tried it, but I didn't get far.  I think it would be done best with a fat separator, a tool I don't have.


The ribs had good flavor (and smelled wonderful while cooking), but it was quite mild.  Having the sauce on the side is just about a necessity.  (Fat separator on order? Check.) I think cooking time could have been extended to the advantage of having more tender meat; I had limited it to the 1.25 hours recommended in the recipe. 

Considering my lack of fat-separator, in the future I'd incorporate a technique from the Honey and Apple Ribs recipe: bake the pork uncovered for an hour and drain off the fat.  Then add the liquid, cover and bake an hour or so.  Sure it adds an hour (with which you can while away your time by knitting, clipping your toenails, feeding your worms, preparing a scrumptious dessert, paying bills or organizing your closet), but 5 bucks says it'd be worth it.  As a matter of fact, I'm cancelling my fat separator order to try my own recommendations based on nothing but pure speculation.

Cost:

• ribs: $1.05/4.09 lb
• onion: $0.39
• celery salt: $4.69
• cloves: $4.99

Total: $14.16.  This is way off the mark.  I didn't use all of the celery salt or cloves I purchased.  So let's say it was $0.47 for celery salt and $0.50 for cloves, and that's being generous, though it'll cover the cost of the other stuff.

Total, revised: $5.45.  Ok, that's more like it.  That brings each of five servings to about $1.09. 

We had our Country-Style Ribs with corn-on-the-cob and baked sweet potatoes.