Boiled Pork Ribs – Gekochte Spare Ribs oder Schälrippchen 

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

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This pork ribs recipe is the ultimate Play with your Food dish. It was traditional in our German house and not only delicious, but FUN too.  

Check below for how we PLAYED with our food and the rules for it!

Although Mutti used to cook these Spare Ribs oder Schälrippchen  on the stove, I like using my method how to cook ribs much better. I use a slow cooker as I find it so easy to get it ready in the morning, set it, and leave it. 

I know, I know, this photo below won't win any awards for being pretty. But it tastes so good, you really should try it.

How to Play with your Food ...

• Mutti served the ribs in a 'lake' of broth that was contained within the mashed potato 'dikes/walls'.
• We then ate the meat off the bones, the broth, and the mashed potatoes being careful not to let the broth 'break' through the potato dikes.
• The winner was the one who could eat the most without letting the broth leak out!

And, the winner wasn't always me! So much fun!

Cooking tips ...

The sparerib recipe below is a sure way how to cook ribs with meat that is 'falling off the bones'. If you want to remove the excess grease from the broth, you can always cook this ahead of time and put the slow cooker insert into the fridge to cool the broth. 

When cold, the fat will have risen and hardened on the top and you can remove it. Bring the slow cooker back to boil to heat the ribs and then serve.

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Dishing this out ...

I was looking into the actual name for this recipe and after searching and searching came up blank! It seems to just be a method of plating the food that makes this dinner so unique.

Or so I thought.

I came across an interesting page, Uncle Phaedrus. He is a consulting detective for lost recipes. Here's his answer and a reader's answer to my question about this sparerib recipe.

Oma says,

Were you looking for a spare ribs recipe and ever wondered where the term "spare ribs" came from?

Well, the actual German word for this cut is "Rippenspeer" which translates as "spear ribs" since these were often roasted on a spear.

A few years down the road of history and the term was used in English as "spare ribs". 

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Boiled Pork Ribs Recipe – Gekochte Spare Ribs oder Schälrippchen 

Although Mutti used to cook this on the stove, I like using my way how to cook ribs much better. I use a slow cooker as I find it so easy to get it ready in the morning, set it, and leave it. 

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

8 hours

Total Time:

8 hours 10 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of pork ribs cut into 2-rib sections
• 3 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• mashed potatoes (enough for 4 servings)

Instructions:

1. Place ribs into slow cooker.
2. Add water until ribs are almost covered.
3. Add bay leaves and about 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
4. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until meat is tender.
5. Remove bay leaves and re-season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve within a bed of mashed potatoes on each plate.

Notes/Hints:

• Serve the ribs in a 'lake' of broth  contained within the mashed potato 'dikes/walls'.
• Eat the meat off the bones, the broth, and the mashed potatoes being careful not to let the broth 'break' through the potato dikes.
• The winner is the one who can eat the most without letting the broth leak out!

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Check out more of Oma's Pork Recipes here ->

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.