Spuntature di Maiale in Umido

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 6-quart Dutch oven with lid
• •Sturdy tongs for turning ribs

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the ribs

   Pat the spare ribs completely dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. The meat must be dry or it will steam instead of brown. Let the ribs sit at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.

2. 2

   Brown the meat

   Heat the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or braising pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ribs in a single layer without crowding. Work in batches if necessary. Brown deeply on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. The color should be mahogany, not pale gold. Remove the browned ribs to a plate.

   Do not move the meat while it browns. Let it develop a crust before turning. This fond on the bottom of the pot becomes the foundation of your sauce.
3. 3

   Build the soffritto

   Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns golden, about 12 minutes. Add the crushed garlic cloves and cook one minute more. The garlic flavors the base; you will remove it later.

4. 4

   Deglaze with wine

   Pour in the white wine. Let it bubble vigorously, scraping any remaining fond from the pot. Cook until the wine reduces by half and you no longer smell raw alcohol, about 3 minutes. The pot should be fragrant with wine and softened vegetables.

5. 5

   Add tomatoes and braise

   Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Return the ribs to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. The liquid should come about halfway up the ribs; add more water if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar.

   A true braise happens at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil. If the sauce bubbles vigorously, the meat will toughen before it tenderizes.
6. 6

   Cook until surrendered

   Braise until the meat pulls easily from the bone and offers no resistance to a fork, 2 to 2 and a half hours. Turn the ribs once or twice during cooking. The sauce will reduce and thicken as the collagen from the bones dissolves into it. This is what you want.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Remove the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. The sauce should coat a spoon and taste deeply of pork and tomato. If it seems thin, remove the ribs and simmer uncovered until thickened. Serve the ribs in shallow bowls with plenty of sauce. Crusty bread is not optional; it is how you eat this dish.

Chef Tips

• •Ask your butcher to cut the spare ribs into individual pieces. If they resist, find a better butcher. The ribs need separation to brown properly and to serve easily.
• •The garlic here is restrained: two cloves, crushed but whole, removed before serving. This is Roman cooking, not American-Italian. The garlic should whisper, not shout.
• •If you cannot find spare ribs, country-style ribs work adequately. They lack the bone and cartilage that enrich the sauce, but the meat will be tender. You may need to reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes.
• •This dish improves overnight. Make it Saturday, refrigerate it, skim the solidified fat, and reheat gently for Sunday dinner. The flavors deepen and the sauce becomes more unctuous.

Advance Preparation

• •The braise can be made two days ahead and refrigerated. The fat will solidify on top; remove it before reheating if you prefer a leaner sauce.
• •Reheat gently over low heat, covered, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
• •This freezes well for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)