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Judy Mayberry · November 2010

We had a little dialogue last night about 3-hour ribs, and how really tasty the juices in the foil packets were. A couple hours later I remembered I had the remains of a pork loin roast in the refrigerator, and thought those juices would be great for that roast.

Well, great balls of fire! The foil packets were cold by then, and the juices had turned into gelatinized meat juice. NOT hardened fat. The fat was all rendered out of the ribs before the foiling--this was MEAT JELLO.

I scraped every bit of into a small jar and put it in the refrigerator. Can't wait to pour it over the roast pork.

In the foil I put a ribbon of Sweet Baby Ray's, brown sugar, a line of honey, and three narrow pats of butter. We have a winner on our hands!

Judy in San Diego

Gator Bait · November 2010

Hi Judy, thirdeye posted HERE some of the history of foiling with the brown sugar and honey. His notes take it back probably a good 35 years. Johnny Trigg who has probably won more rib competitions than anybody else, if the rumors are true, has been using this method for a long time I think. I figured that if it was good for them it can't hurt to give it a try.

Hahahaha, your right about the meat/brown sugar/honey/butter jello. It is wonderful stuff! It is like the caramel syrup that you bake in the bottom of a flan. I have been saucing my ribs at the table but will have to try the way you did it. I too save the sauce from the foil and let it cool to jello. When I freeze my cooked ribs I add a couple big spoonfuls of it to each half slab as I double wrap (once in plastic wrap and once in foil) them for the freezer. I would vacuum seal them with the FoodSaver but I wonder if the bones and sharp points will puncture the FoodSaver bags. With the foil and plastic wrap I can mold the wrapping around any places that may poke through. I freeze the half slabs as one piece and cut them when they are defrosted. I arrange them like spokes of a wheel with the large end pointing out on a plate and nuke them for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on high and make sure I get as much of the jello on the plate as I can. When I eat them I roll them in the molten jello sauce before adding a touch of BBQ sauce. LOL, by the time I am done I am about ready for a bath.

I think the basic cooking method is good and that there is plenty of room for experimenting with the flavorings so they can be tailored to anyones taste. I have been wondering about a less sweet variation. Maybe a simple Herbs De Provence, such as,

3 Tablespoons dried marjoram
3 Tablespoons dried thyme
3 Tablespoons dried savory
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

and a bit of bacon fat added when foiled. It might be a savory alternative worth trying. It's just a thought.

Maybe we can make this a series of winners,

Blair

Judy Mayberry · November 2010

Blair:

Well, I love it sweet. But think about an Asian variation, like the char sui (bbq pork) coating. That can be sweet AND spicy, and that will be my next experiment. I love caramelized anything.

I did spill some juices into the three racks I vacuum-sealed. Luckily there were no sharp points on this batch of ribs. Thanks for the heads up, I wouldn't have thought of it.

Ever onward!

Judy

Gator Bait · November 2010

An Asian variation sounds wonderful Judy! I look forward to hearing how they come out. I love the sweet caramelized ones also. Vacuum sealing may be fine Judy, I just wasn't sure, before my FoodSaver I double wrapped everything with great success. Old habits.

Blair

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