While not “ribs” at all, country ribs are a wonderful (and inexpensive) treat if you have a few hours to cook them tender. The meat makes a great candidate for many flavoring treatments, and is only limited by your creativity. Several of the Dizzy Pig blends really make pork shine. Dizzy Dust and Raging River come to mind first. But for lovers of hot and spicy, the Jamaican Firewalk and Swamp Venom are great ways to put some heat into your pork!
Country ribs come in many forms, and the name is confusing. Most of what you see at the store are thick strips sawed from the pork shoulder. Pictured below, the meat is a deep red color, and has lots of connective tissue and a good amount of fat….both on the outside, and marbled throughout the meat.
They come in all different shapes, depending on who cuts the meat. Sometimes, under the label of “country ribs”, you will find meat cut from the loin end of the shoulder. These look more like thick bone in pork chops, and the meat is lean. These are better cooked at higher temps, and are not ideal for slow cooking. For good country ribs, a slow cook will break down the connective tissue and the coating of seasoning will develop into a flavorful crust.
Have fun cooking, and let us know how they come out!
Ingredients
Print Recipe- Country ribs, cut from the shoulder
- Olive oil
- Any Dizzy Pig® blend to coat (we used Raging River for this cook)