Country Style Pork Ribs are a budget friendly cut that are great to enjoy covered in BBQ sauce.
Have you ever heard of country style ribs? I didn’t know what they were or how to cook them so that the meat would be tender at first. But now I’ve done the testing on these tasty pork ribs so you don’t have to!.
To find out more about how it all works, scroll down or click here. Now you can go straight to the recipe.
Country style pork ribs can be tough and dry if not prepared properly. But brining is an easy technique that helps ensure tender, juicy country ribs every time. When done right brining infuses moisture and flavor deep into the meat for outstanding results.
What are Country Style Pork Ribs?
Country style ribs come from the pork shoulder or butt. They contain both light and dark meat in one cut. The bone is removed, so they are boneless This makes them easier to eat than traditional ribs with bones
Why Brine Country Ribs?
There are a few key benefits to brining country pork ribs before cooking:
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Breaks down collagen – The salt in the brine helps dissolve tough collagen in the ribs leaving the meat more tender.
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Adds flavor – Brining allows seasonings and aromatics to penetrate deep into the meat.
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Retains moisture – The brine helps the ribs better hold onto moisture during cooking for juicier meat.
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Enhances texture – Brined country ribs turn out incredibly tender with great mouthfeel.
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Promotes even cooking – Brining leads to uniform seasoning and moisture content.
Without brining, country ribs can end up dry, chewy, and lacking flavor since they contain both light and dark meat.
How to Make a Simple Country Rib Brine
Making a basic brine for country style ribs is straightforward. Here is an easy brine recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 liters cherry Dr. Pepper
- 1⁄2 cup kosher salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 5 lbs country style ribs
Instructions:
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Combine Dr. Pepper, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic powder in a large pot.
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Heat over medium until salt dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
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Place ribs in a zip top bag and pour cooled brine over to submerge.
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Refrigerate 12-24 hours, massaging bag occasionally.
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Remove ribs from brine, rinse off, pat dry and cook as desired.
Tips for Successful Country Rib Brining
Follow these tips for best brining results:
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Use a nonreactive container like stainless steel or plastic. Avoid aluminum.
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Ensure ribs are fully submerged in brine. Weigh down if needed.
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Brine in the fridge at 40°F or below.
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Brine 12-24 hours for moderate flavor infusion. Up to 2-3 days for intense brining.
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Massage and flip ribs periodically for even brine exposure.
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Rinse ribs after brining and pat dry before cooking.
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Discard used brine. Don’t reuse.
Customizing Your Brine
Feel free to customize your country rib brine with different flavors:
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Herbs – rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage
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Spices – onion, jalapeño, cloves, cinnamon
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Fruits – orange, lemon, apple, cranberries
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Sweeteners – honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
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Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beer, wine
Mix and match ingredients to create your signature brine!
How Long to Brine Country Ribs
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12-24 hours – For moderate brining with decent flavor infusion.
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1-3 days – For intense brining and pronounced seasoning.
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5-7 days – For extreme brining that makes ribs salty.
In most cases, 12-24 hours provides the ideal balance of flavor without getting too salty.
Cooking Brined Country Pork Ribs
Brined country ribs can be cooked many ways. Popular cooking methods include:
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Grill – Get nice char and caramelization on the grill.
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Braise – Braise in broth at 250°F until fall-off-the-bone tender.
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Roast – Roast in oven with barbecue sauce for delicious flavor.
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Smoke – Hot or cold smoke brined ribs for extra depth.
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Slow cooker – Slow cook brined ribs in a crockpot with sauce.
No matter how you cook them, brining helps ensure tender, juicy country pork ribs packed with flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much salt do you use for brining?
Use around 1⁄2 cup kosher salt per 2 liters of liquid. Reduce to 1⁄4 cup table salt.
What’s the best brining container?
Use stainless steel, plastic or glass. Avoid aluminum which can impart metallic flavors.
Do you rinse ribs after brining?
Yes, always rinse to remove excess surface salt, then pat dry. This prevents over-salting.
Can you reuse a country rib brine?
No. The brine pulls out proteins and fat from the meat, changing its effectiveness.
How do you know if ribs are brined long enough?
Check after 12 hours. If not as salty as desired, continue brining up to 24 hours.
Conclusion
Brining is a simple way to make country pork ribs incredibly moist, tender and packed with flavor. Follow this guide for brining success every time. Adjust brine time and ingredients to suit your tastes.
How To Cook Country Style Pork Ribs
To make the country style pork ribs, place one of the oven racks in middle slot. (If your oven only has one rack, you’ll need to move this one to the broiler after the pork has been braised.) ). Place second oven rack just below broiler. Preheat oven to 250°F.
Place the ribs on a sheet pan leaving about ¼-inch of space between each rib and set this aside for a minute. In a small bowl mix together paprika, salt, and pepper, and rub this mixture evenly over all sides of the ribs. It’s much easier to mix the spices in a bowl first and then rub it onto the ribs, rather than sprinkle them on individually, which can leave uneven patches.
Place the sheet pan on the lower of the two racks in the oven and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake this for 2 and 1/2 hours, and then remove the pan from the oven.
Now, I’ve seen some popular recipes for these ribs online that have you brush the ribs with sauce and then bake them for another hour after removing the foil. This is to bake in the sauce. However, I found that that contributed to the drying of the lighter meat. So instead, we’re going to get that sauce baked in using the broiler, and that gets us a bit of nice charring too!
So, change the oven setting to broil on high and remove the foil from the ribs. There might be some pan juices that have rendered onto the bottom of the pan. This needs to be removed so that the barbecue sauce doesn’t get mixed into the liquid. Move the ribs to a plate, pour off the liquid, and then return the ribs to the pan. Alternatively, carefully tilt the pan with the ribs still in it and let the liquid drain into a heat-safe container made of ceramic or metal.
Add a lot of barbecue sauce to the ribs and turn them over to coat them all over. Brush the sauce on all sides. Try my Best BBQ sauce recipe or your favorite store-bought kind. Place the pan on the rack just below the broiler and put it back in the oven. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the tops of the ribs are caramelized.
Remove the pan from the oven and let this stand 5 minutes before serving.
Add more barbecue sauce and lots of napkins to these ribs. Then serve them with your favorite sides for a barbecue, like coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans.
You can eat these ribs with your hands like a bone-in rib, or you can use a knife and fork to cut them.
Also, if you don’t want to braise a whole pork butt but like pulled pork instead, country-style pork ribs are a great option for smaller portions. After being braised, shred them in a bowl and mix them with barbecue sauce to make cheap pulled pork.
What Are Country-Style Ribs?
Country pork ribs aren’t really ribs at all. The shoulder is the part of the pork butt that this cut comes from. It has both light and dark meat. The size may be a little different depending on how they were cut. You can get them with or without bones. I used boneless for my Country-Style Pork Ribs recipe and they were about 4 ounces each.
They can be tricky to cook because light and dark meat need different amounts of time, but I found a good way to do it.
If you’d rather cook baby back ribs in the oven, you can follow my steps.