Maremmana
Tuscan Spareribs
I received lots of good reviews when Beppe opened, but I
only saved one, where the critic poked fun at me for serving inauthentic
Tuscan food. I laugh now, but at the time it drove me crazy, especially her
"proof" that there's no fish in Tuscany and no cowboys who'd eat my "Tuscan
spareribs."
Putting aside our miles of coastline and towns like Forte di Marmi and
Viareggio (she'd obviously never left her hotel when she visited Florence), it
was the cowboy reference that got me the most worked up. Granted, Americans
might think of cowboys as beef - not pork - eaters. But we not only have cowboys
in the Maremma - the famous butteri - when Buffalo Bill competed against them
in a traveling rodeo show, he lost.
Of course, you won't find a recipe for ribs this way in any Italian cookbook.
They are, however, quintessentially Tuscan for me, braised alla cacciatora, or
hunter's style, in a spicy tomato sauce. You also won't find broccoli rabe in
Tuscany, but that's what I serve with my "inauthentic" ribs, because I like
the way it compliments the smoky spiciness of the meat. This is definitely a
plan-ahead dish. The spareribs need to marinate with the dry rub overnight.
Plus I think they taste better if you cook them a day or two in advance and
keep them in the refrigerator until the time you want to serve them.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup minced garlic, plus 2 cloves sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
7 pounds pork spareribs
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed (You can use canned crushed
tomatoes, but I think the whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality.)
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
1 cup dry white wine
Preparation:
For the ribs:
Combine the minced garlic, sage, rosemary, salt, black
pepper, and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper. Rub the spareribs well with
this mixture and let them marinate, wrapped in plastic, at least 24 hours or
up to 48 hours, in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat a large baking pan with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and lay the ribs in
the pan. Roast stirring, every 20 minutes. After an hour, turn the ribs over
and roast 1 hour more. Check the ribs periodically; if the bottom of the pan
starts to burn, add a little water.
For the tomato sauce:
Coat a large skillet with the remaining 3 tablespoons
olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons crushed red
pepper and sauté over medium heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the
tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper sauce. Add 1 1/2 cups water and
bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning
and set aside.
When the ribs have browned on both sides, remove them from the pan and drain
off any excess fat. Return the ribs to the pan, adding the wine and the
tomato sauce. Cover the pan with foil and braise the ribs for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Wine Suggestion:
A pure Merlot is perfect here, but if you want to go
bigger, try one of the Super-Tuscans like Masseto, a Merlot from Maremma
that's reached cult status in the last few years.
