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Pork Ribs Recipe ~ "Play with your food" ❤️

➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson

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pork ribs and mashed potatoes

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 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. 

I love using my new Cuisinart Slow Cooker!    (I gave away my old one!)

Not only is it a slow cooker, but it's a Multicooker!

That means it can be used to quickly brown or sauté the meat  (up to 400 °F) before setting it to slow cook (at various temps) ... and there's a 'steam' option as well!

With a 24-hour timer and an automatic Keep Warm feature, I LOVE this! You'll love using this, just like I do!

> As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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". 

Pork Ribs Recipe ...
"Play with your Food" recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 rack of pork ribs cut into 2-rib sections
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • mashed potatoes (enough for 4 servings)
Instructions:
  • Place ribs into slow cooker.
  • Add water until ribs are almost covered.
  • Add bay leaves and about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
  • Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until meat is tender.
  • Remove bay leaves and re-season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve within a bed of mashed potatoes on each plate.
  • Serves 4

Want nutritional information? Copy and paste the above ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count for an approximate calculation.

Need help doing conversions between cups and grams, etc.? Use this site to give you all the different conversions for the different types of ingredients. 

You might like these

Oma's Pork Recipes

Leave a comment about this recipe or ask a question?

Pop right over to my private Facebook group, the Kaffeeklatschers. You'll find thousands of German foodies, all eager to help and to talk about all things German, especially these yummy foods. 

I pop in all the time as well, to chat and to answer questions. 

Meet with us around Oma's table, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a piece of Apfelstrudel, and enjoy the visit.

Have Oma by your side ... helping you

*  *  *  *  *

Want nutritional information for a recipe?

Copy and paste the ingredient list and the number of servings into Calorie Count. 

It will give you an approximate calculation.

Need help doing conversions

between cups and grams or any such thing?

Use this site to give you all the different conversions for the different types of ingredients. 


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Proverbs 25:16 (NLT)


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