Fennel-Brown Sugar Pork Ribs (Rosticciana)
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time3½ hours
- Active time plus cooling15 minutes active
- 3
In Tuscany, rosticciana is cooked on a grill and served with other meats, such and steak and sausage. We chose to focus on just the ribs and brought the recipe indoors so we could use the oven to create just the right dry, yet moist environment for yielding super-tender and perfectly browned ribs. The seasonings are simple, so for the fullest, richest flavor, it's best to pulverize your own fennel seeds in a spice grinder. If convenience is key and you can find ground fennel seed at the grocery store, use the same amount of ground fennel (1 tablespoon). The start-to-finish time for this recipe may be long, but the hands-on cooking is minimal and the reward is delicious.
Don't substitute baby back ribs for the St. Louis spareribs. Baby backs are smaller and leaner and will end up overdone. St. Louis–style ribs are spareribs that are trimmed of excess meat and cartilage, so the racks have a neat rectangular shape. Try to choose racks that are similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
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