Roast pork ribs, better known as ribs, are very easy to make and can be a favorite dish for many if seasoned properly. The key is to make the ribs soft, tender and very juicy. How can this be achieved?

Ingredients

• 1,5 kg of pork ribs.
• ½ liter of extra virgin olive oil.
• A teaspoon of cloves.
• Two sprigs of thyme.
• A sprig of rosemary.
• Three bay leaves.
• Salt.
• Ground black pepper (freshly ground, preferably).

Preparation

• The first thing is to preheat the oven to 110 degrees, for ten minutes before putting in the ribs. So, remember to calculate your preparation time.
• It is time to confit the ribs. To do this, you must remove the ribs and place them in a deep oven dish.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the sprigs of thyme and rosemary, as well as the three bay leaves and the cloves; the spices should be distributed throughout the ribs.
• Add the extra virgin olive oil to the dish so that the ribs are completely submerged in the liquid.
• Place the ribs in the pre-heated oven, at 110 degrees. The ribs should remain in the oven for at least three hours. Depending on the power of the oven, the ribs may be ready before the three hours are up. You will know that the ribs are ready when the meat comes off the bone easily. Do not rush, as the ribs may also take longer than three hours. You will have to keep an eye on them.
• When the meat is ready, remove the dish from the oven and drain the oil.
• Place the ribs in a baking dish and add a drizzle of the strained oil.
• Rectify the salt, if necessary, and put the ribs in the oven to finish roasting. This way, the ribs will be much crispier.
• To roast the ribs, it is necessary to raise the oven temperature to 200 degrees, with heat up and down.
• You will know that the ribs are ready when they acquire a toasted tone.
• Remove the ribs from the oven and serve immediately with french fries, mashed potatoes, roasted peppers, salad or your favorite sauce.

How to grill ribs correctly?

Whether the ribs are delicious, tender and make your guests keep coming back for more, depends on many factors, starting with the confit. A confit using oil is a method that has been used since ancient times to preserve food and, nowadays, it is the best way to prepare meats with a fibrous texture, such as ribs. The oil makes the ribs juicy.

The choice of rib is also very important. The ideal way is to buy fresh meat and prepare it on the same day that it is bought, not frozen and defrosted. What you can do is freeze the ribs once they have been cooked and if you have leftovers, but always in a hermetically sealed bag. If you have leftover ribs at home, and you want to eat them again a few days later, it will be enough to fry them in a pan with a drizzle of oil; do not overdo it, because the ribs themselves will release the fat they keep.

On the other hand, the oil left over from the confit of the ribs can be used for many other recipes, so it is advisable to keep it very well; in fact, if you defrost the ribs, you can use a drizzle of this oil to pass the ribs in the pan. You can also use it in other stews, even to prepare fries, as the oil picks up the smells and flavors of the herbs with which you cook the ribs.

Finally, remember to always check the state of the ribs when you calculate that they may be done. It is advisable to do so after two and a half hours of cooking. You can use the toothpick test, or a fork, to check how tender the meat is. Remember that you will know it is ready because the meat will fall apart easily.

What to serve with barbecued ribs?

The accompaniment for barbecued ribs depends on the tastes of the guests. The garnish can be prepared while the ribs are in the oven. The most common way is to accompany the ribs with potatoes in any of their different styles: fried, boiled, baked, roasted, baked, and even potatoes bravas, or mashed. The preparation of any of these styles is very easy.

You can also make it easier and prepare a delicious salad with lettuce, tomato and onion. Remember that the ribs are the protagonist at the table, so the garnish should not be so forceful that it detracts from the diners' appetite.

If you want to innovate a little, why not try roasted red peppers? These peppers are a crowd pleaser and are also very easy to make.