Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

Rib

Beef back ribs

Beef back ribs are the bones left behind when the ribeye or rib roast is carved away. The meat sits in a thin layer between the bones and on top, and it is deeply beefy and tender once cooked slowly.

Quality varies with how closely the butcher trimmed the roast, so look for racks with plenty of meat between the bones rather than bare, shiny ones. They are long, dramatic and inexpensive compared with the roast they came from.

On the underside of the rack is a thin membrane, the silverskin. It should be removed, as it turns leathery and stops seasoning from reaching the meat.

Techniques

Slide a knife under the membrane at one end, grip it with a paper towel and peel it off in one piece. Season the rack well, ideally the night before.

The traditional method is to smoke the ribs at about 120°C (250°F) for four to five hours, until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends and a dark bark has formed. A low oven works well too: roast them wrapped in foil, then unwrap and finish with sauce.

For very tender results, braise the rack in a covered pan with a little liquid for two hours, then crisp it over a grill. The meat is ready when a probe slides between the bones with almost no resistance, typically around 93°C (200°F).

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