Low and Slow Pork Ribs or Saran Wrap Isn’t just for Weight Loss Anymore

So, it’s back to this…perfecting pork ribs.  Yes!Chef! loved the last batch of ribs that he made, but he came across a technique that really intrigued him, so he had to try it.  I’m always a willing guinea pig when it comes to most of his food and I will photograph anything he decides to cook.

Ha!  Just kidding.  They don’t have enough meat on their tiny little bones.

It takes a little over 2 hours to make these incredibly tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. And the technique he used was a little shocking to me and quite a bit unusual.

You just season the ribs with your favorite seasoning (Yes!Chef! used Galena Street Rib & Chicken Rib rub from Penzeys Spices and he also threw in a few Bay Leaves), wrap it all up tight in Plastic Wrap…yes, you heard me right…like the Saran Wrap that you might have wrapped around yourself years ago when you heard you could lose 10 pounds in 1 hour.  Yes, that plastic wrap.

Then, you put the whole thing on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 2 hours in a 225 degree oven.  Wowsers!  Easy.

No more all-day cooking and basting, setting the timer for every 30 minutes and mopping it with some mopping sauce that took all day to make.  Nope!

We even had time to go take a walk at the wonderful Tallac Historic Estates on the south shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe.

I love the flower gardens at this site. There are many native flowers and wonderful handmade birdhouses.  It’s a great way to see the native vegetation in beautifully manicured gardens.

Of course, Yes!Chef! was interested in the vegetable garden.

Lake Tahoe has a very short growing season and when you add the heavily shaded areas caused by the forest, it is even more difficult to grow a vegetable garden.

Although the property is now owned by the State of California, it is maintained by heavy use of volunteers.  Many of these volunteers have been coming to the property for years and plan their vacations around it.  We spoke to one retired couple who had been coming to Lake Tahoe with an RV for over 14 years.  The Estate provides free hook-ups for the volunteers who live in RV’s.  One session of volunteer duty is 6 weeks.  Many of the volunteers stay for 2 or three sessions.  I’m told it’s a great way to do some worthwhile volunteering and stay in a beautiful location.

Yes!Chef! could spend several hours at this place because he loves to see how people lived in other eras.  (In fact, he also likes to see how other people live in other parts of the world…his favorite show being House Hunters International…and he doesn’t care if it’s fake or not.  He loves it.)  In fact, the Tallac Historic Estate offer a “Servants Tour” which is described as follows: “Learn the stories of the many servants that followed their families to Lake Tahoe each summer:  maids, butlers, nannies, tutors, cooks, gardeners, the blacksmith, the seamstress and others.” He wants to sign up for this tour.  Bonus:  it only costs $5.00.  I’m game for it because it would probably allow me to take some pictures and spend time with Y!C!

If you ever visit South Lake Tahoe, put this place on your list of places to visit and allow a couple of hours to wander thru the area.  The homes are maintained immaculately and the volunteers are quite knowledgeable about the estates.  It is a lovely way to spend time in Lake Tahoe. And, you can bring your dog if he’s on a leash.  There are dog water dishes placed throughout the site.  And there are doggie poop bags available at the entrance of the estates in case nature calls for your dog.  You can’t bring your dog into the buildings, but there are plenty of easy and smooth walking trails.  The estates are on the shore of Lake Tahoe, so you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the beach.

After our walk, the ribs are done.

Let it rest for 10 minutes or so.  Unwrap and slather with your favorite barbecue sauce.  Put it under the broiler until the barbecue sauce has caramelized a little.  Pull it out of the oven and allow to rest for a few more minutes.

Cut them into individual ribs and allow your diners to pile them on their plates.

Add a little bowl of barbecue sauce for people who would like a little more.  Make sure you have plenty of napkins because you will want to pick these up with your fingers, suck the meat off the bones and then lick your fingers.

You probably should make two racks so that you won’t run out because they go quickly.

Although Yes!Chef! did not follow the recipe exactly, we did use Robert Irvine’s technique for cooking the ribs.  Here is Robert Irvine’s original recipe:  Ribs by Robert Irvine.

This is a really easy recipe and makes the most succulent ribs you have ever tasted.  It is excellent for an outdoor dinner with guests.  Be careful how you clean up, though, especially if you are staying at Tahoe.  Bears don’t need an invitation to visit…just the good smell of ribs.

Enjoy!