Marinara Braised Pork Ribs

If your grill is covered with snow like mine is then Marinara Braised Pork Ribs are for you! Well, even if your grill isn’t covered with snow then these ribs are still for you!

I’m starting on week two of eight for the year when my TV is running 24/7. Yep! Tennis major season is underway all the way Down Under! I love watching the Open and the upsets this year have been stunning, so the week is only going to get better! I really hope Federer can win this one! What I really need to do is go to Australia next year for the tournament and visit friends in Sydney and Queensland. It would be a great excuse for more travel. Anyway, I wasn’t such a slug today. We had another 60 degree, sunny January Colorado day. I’m telling ya, this has been crazy. The mountains are getting pounded with snow and we have nothing! So I loaded the dogs in the car and we went for a walk around Audubon Society of Denver nature trail. The nature trail is one of my favorite peaceful places to go for a walk. Usually it’s teaming with all kinds of birds and wildlife but not today. Just me and a few ducks! It was still gorgeous and so close to my house. I really need to get over there more often. The fresh air is just what the doctor ordered!

As football season is coming to a close, I know we all have Super Bowl on our minds. I’m sad the Bronco’s had an off season but heck, they won it last year on my birthday to boot. That was quite a day. Since I am a good sport, I’ll be cooking up a storm for what ever party I end up at. I have had ribs on my mind lately but my grill that sits on my North facing porch is covered with snow. I was thinking that it wasn’t in the cards but one can improvise! So Marinara Braised Pork Ribs came to be. Just channel your Italian Nona and think Sunday Gravy without slaving over your stove all day. That’s the beauty of braising, just stick it in your oven and forget about it and the added bonus your house will smell divine! If you want to serve these for a party, just cut the ribs apart for easy grab and go. Word of advice… I suggest wearing a white shirt is a bad idea when you eat these and make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand! So messy but so good!

Enjoy!

Marinara Braised Pork Ribs

Recipe Type: Appetizer/Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Heather Blake

Serves: 6-8

Marinara Braised Pork Ribs are a take on “Sunday Gravy”. Slowly braised pork ribs in a simple marinara sauce. Serve for dinner or cut apart and serve for a party with a big bowl of the additional sauce for dipping!

Ingredients

2 racks (3-4 pounds) of pork ribs. Loin back or spare ribs.
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
[br][b]For the Marinara Sauce[/b][br]
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili flake (optional)
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons tomato paste
6 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the dry rub evenly over the racks of ribs. Place the ribs in a piece of tin foil and fold up sides to seal. Refrigerate the ribs for 6 hours or overnight.
To make the marinara. In a large Dutch oven (big enough to braise the ribs) heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they become translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, chili flake, salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 1/2 hour on low heat. Taste the sauce, if you like it a little sweeter, add the honey.
Cut each rack of ribs in half and place in the sauce making sure the sauce is covering the meat.
Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2-3 hours or until the ribs are tender.
Serve with additional sauce.