Tuci-braised pork ribs

Name: Tuci-braised pork ribs
Ingredients: 2 kg smoked pork ribs; 250 ml water; 2000 ml water; 1 teaspoon salt; 500 g cornmeal; 5 garlic cloves; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 300 g roasted tomatoes; 200 g roasted peppers

Diverse - Tuci-braised pork ribs by Gabriela I. - Recipia

At Christmas, tuci-braised pork ribs are cooked in a little water in a tuci, a Romanian cast-iron pot, then browned in the pot, with nicely browned edges and smoky meat. I serve them with mămăligă, a Romanian cornmeal porridge, and garlic sauce with roasted tomatoes and peppers, the familiar combination at pomana porcului, the Romanian pork feast. I keep the sauce on the side so everyone can have as much garlic as they like. Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: 60 minutes. Total time: 75 minutes. Servings: 8. About 650 kcal and 31 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 kg smoked pork ribs
250 ml water
2000 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
500 g cornmeal
5 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
300 g roasted tomatoes
200 g roasted peppers

Preparation

1. Cut the ribs into smaller pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. 2. Put them in a tuci with 250 ml water, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Steam collects under the lid and the ribs soften. 3. While they braise, bring 2000 ml water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil, in about 10 minutes. Pour in the cornmeal gradually, stirring, then cook the mămăligă over low heat for 20 minutes, until it thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pot. 4. Crush the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix it with the roasted tomatoes and peppers until you have a sauce with small pieces. 5. Remove the lid from the tuci and cook the ribs for another 10 minutes, until browned. 6. Serve the ribs hot with mămăligă and the garlic sauce.

Notes

Smoked ribs can be quite salty, so taste the sauce before sprinkling any more salt over it. Put a few pickles on the table alongside the mămăligă. If you’re getting everything ready for a set time, start the mămăligă when the ribs go into their 20 minutes covered; it’ll be hot at the same time. Choose pieces with visible meat between the bones, not just a thick layer of fat. Drain very juicy roasted tomatoes and peppers before mixing them into the sauce, otherwise the garlic gets lost in a thin liquid. Small pieces brown faster than thick ones, so keep an eye on them in the last few minutes. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.