This is a hearty and flavorful dish that reminds me of my father’s Sunday Gravy. He often put pork neck bones in his gravy. The flavor they imparted was huge and though an acquired taste, sucking on the bones is truly wonderful.
I recently made an enormous pot of his gravy filled with homemade meatballs and some good Italian sausage. I packaged the sauce in various containers including several that were just gravy. I thought plain gravy would make a great blank canvas.
I started thinking about pork and how it made gravy taste amazing. I didn’t have any neck bones, but I did have a good size package of country pork ribs in the freezer. It seemed like a workable swap . After browning the ribs, I opted to braise them in the sauce. I added some extra onions and garlic along with some fennel seed and red pepper flakes.
In less than 2 hours I had tender falling off the bone pork and a sauce that had incredible depth of flavor. Served with rigatoni lightly coated with some of the sauce and a generous grating of Parmesan, it was heaven.
No Sunday gravy on hand? I won’t think any less of you if you opt for your own Marinara or even sauce from a jar. Bone in ribs give the most flavor, but boneless will work in a pinch.You could also add extra veggies to the sauce. Fennel bulb, Peppers, Zucchini, or Eggplant would fit right in.
- 2 Pounds Country Pork Ribs 4 pieces, bone in or boneless
- 1 Tsp. McCornick Iltaian Herb Grinder
- 1 Tblsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion sliced lengthwise in 1/2 inch wedges
- 4 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped
- 2 Tsp. Fennel Seeds
- 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Cup Dry Vermouth
- 4 Cups Tomato Gravy Homemade or bought
- Parmesan Cheese
- 8 Ounces Rigatoni Cooked Al Dente
- Season pork ribs on all sides with the Italian Herb Blend. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven, Add the pork and brown on all sides. This should take 10 minutes or so. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic, pepper flakes and fennel seed. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vermouth and cook and stir over medium high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add the tomato gravy and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to boil. Lay the pork ribs on top of the sauce, cover and put in a 325 degree oven.
- Braise for about one hour. Check the ribs for tenderness. You will probably need to continue the braising for another 30 -60 minutes. (this depends on density of the ribs).
- As the ribs finish cooking, boil the pasta. Drain and return to the pan. Once the ribs are done, toss the pasta with some of the sauce. Serve the pasta topped with a good amount of grated Parmesan and serve the ribs alond side.
