Buttermilk Brined Pork Ribs & Wok Seared Vegetables

Ingredients:

I wanted to do something with buttermilk and meat besides the venerable (and delicious) deep frying. This led me to one of my favorite ways of introducing flavor to grilled foods: brining. Buttermilk not only imparts great flavor, it tenderizes the meat as it soaks. It also sticks well to the meat, allowing for a nice crusty exterior.

- 1 lovely set of "teas style pork ribs" - not sure what else these would be called, but they're great and I would buy them again.
- 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika (Spanish is an inferior product)
- 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
buttermilk to cover the ribs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of buttermilk

Step 1:

Separate the pork into single-rib portions. This allows for faster, more thorough brining and makes dispensing individual servings easy.

Step 2:

Place all brining ingredients in a large plastic bag and shake to combine. Add pork once fully mixed. Seal and leave at room temp for 20-30 minutes.

Step 3:

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables for wok searing. I used a bell pepper and carrot as well as this lovely zucchini.

Step 4:

Julienne the carrots and make narrow strips of the pepper.

Step 5:

Grill those beautiful ribs on a low to medium-low grill to prevent overly-enthusiastic carbonization. Notice how nicely the buttermilk sticks to the meat, providing extra flavor and contributing to proper crust formation.

Step 6:

Sear them vegetables.

Step 7:

Plate your pork ribs with your seared vegetables.

The taste:

The buttermilk added a background tartness, and a slightly saltier crust. It was sort of like dipping the ribs in sauerkraut before cooking, but more subtle.

Step 8:

Closeup: