If you decide to cook beef ribs in the oven or on the grill, then the first thing you will go to the market for a quality meat product. Beef has a variety of shades of red, from light to almost burgundy. How to choose not only fresh, but also not aged meat, so that after cooking the dish does not turn out harsh or with a specific flavor? And how to pickle it so as not to spoil the taste?
How to choose fresh meat
The following tips will help you choose the right quality products:
- meat should have a spicy milk smell; if the beef smells like a barn, then it is old;
- when a finger touches the carcass, the muscle should spring, if there is a dent left - the meat was frozen earlier, and maybe more than once;
- the young individual has brightly colored meat and light fat; the old one has dark and yellow fat.
Also note hematomas or bruises. Their presence indicates improper slaughter of the animal or possible internal diseases.
Preparing ribs for pickling
So, fresh meat is purchased, however, in order to get a juicy and tender product after baking, it must be held in a specially made marinade. The article provides several different options for preparing marinade for beef ribs. It is prepared in a separate container, and then the prepared meat is kept in the liquid for several hours. Experienced chefs recommend making marinade in the evening so that the beef stays in it all night. The next day, the workpiece is taken out of the refrigerator and the meat is baked in the oven or on the grill.
After the purchase, the rib tape must be washed and dried with napkins. Turning it to the back, you will see a thick and "rubber" shell. It must be removed, otherwise, no matter what marinade for beef ribs you made, they will still remain tough, it will be impossible to chew.
To remove this rigid film, pick up the edge of the shell with a sharp knife and, inserting a finger into the formed pocket, push it forward with force. If this is a difficult process for you, ask the seller to do this procedure in the market. But this is not difficult at all, so any person can handle it if desired.
It remains to cut the meaty part along the bones into portioned pieces. Now you can start cooking marinade for beef ribs. So that they become even more tender and softer after baking.
Wine marinade
One type of marinade is described further in the article. Prepare it from the following ingredients, mixing in a large bowl or pan:
- mustard (you can use spicy "Russian" or more tender) - 2 tbsp. l .;
- half a glass of table white wine;
- the same amount of soy sauce;
- 1 tsp dried ground paprika;
- as much dried parsley;
- garlic - 4 or 5 teeth;
- 1 tsp granulated sugar.
This number of products is designed for 1 kg of ribs. As you may have noticed, salt was not added to the beef ribs marinade, as it is present in soy sauce. All the components are mixed and dipped into the prepared and sliced ribs. Stir in the marinade directly with your hands.
Ideally, the liquid should cover the ribs completely. If not, then you can put a deep plate on top of the meat and some kind of load on top to squeeze the contents well. Leave the beef ribs in the marinade overnight in a cold place. In the warm season it’s a refrigerator, and in winter you can put a pot on a glazed balcony.
A mixture of spicy and sweet
The following recipe contains a combination of hot hot chili peppers with sweet honey, which will give the meat a special flavor. Be sure to try to make such a marinade for beef ribs on the grill. All participants in the picnic will appreciate your efforts. According to the recipe, mix the following ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. l natural liquid honey;
- the same amount of soy sauce;
- 2 tbsp. l Dijon granular mustard;
- the same amount of parsley sauce "Narsharab";
- 1 chili pepper
- garlic - 3 prongs.
First, all the liquids are combined, then honey is added and everything is mixed with a whisk into a homogeneous mass. At the end add chopped chili pepper (remove only the tail, the seeds remain inside) and finely chopped garlic. This quantity of products is calculated for 1.5 kg of ribs.
Spicy pickle
Another interesting option. If you cook marinade for beef ribs in the oven at home, just mix different spicy spices with fresh herbs, adding vegetable oil and vinegar. Let us consider in more detail its composition based on a pound of ribs:
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar;
- the same amount of oil;
- a pinch of caraway seeds;
- a pinch of coriander;
- salt and pepper - to taste;
- fresh greens.
Combine everything in a deep bowl with finely chopped parsley and dill. It is enough to take a couple of branches for such an amount of meat. Also add a few feathers of green onions. It is advisable to kill everything in a homogeneous mass with a blender.
Put the ribs in a deep container and rub in them with your hands a thick slurry. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate the meat for at least a few hours. Then the ribs are pulled out and laid out on a baking sheet covered with foil. When baking, it is advisable to add the sauce. How to do it, consider later in the article.
Oven baking sauce
Before preparing beef ribs in the oven or grilling in a pan, make the sauce. During baking, the meat is saturated with its aromas and will simply melt in the mouth.
After the meat is marinated, it is taken out and wiped with a napkin. Heat a frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil and fry the ribs on both sides until half cooked.
Then they spread everything on a baking sheet covered with foil. The remaining marinade is poured into the pan in which the meat was fried and the components of the sauce are poured - half a glass of white dry wine, the same amount of cream is added, 1 tbsp each. l mustard and liquid honey, as well as finely chopped shallots (2 pieces). When the sauce boils, turn down the heat and then simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. It remains to pour everything on top of the meat and wrap it with foil.
Ribs are baked in a preheated oven at a temperature of 250 degrees. Since they are almost ready, then hold in heat for only 5 minutes. The meat will become unusually tender and soft, will be perfectly removed from the bone.
Simple Kiwi Marinade
This is the fastest and most affordable version of sour marinade. For 1 kg of ribs, cook:
- 4 kiwi fruits;
- 2 tbsp. l vegetable oil;
- a pinch of salt and hot red pepper;
- spices to taste.
Peel the kiwi first from the brown peel and cut into ringlets. Transfer them to a container and crush them into a pulp with a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and stir with a spoon. Pour everything into a bowl with prepared ribs and coat them with your hands with the marinade. Let it stand for several hours, and then transfer the meat to a baking sheet and cover it with foil on top. Bake until cooked at 200 degrees for 2.5 hours. In the end, it can open the foil to give the meat a golden crust.
How to marinate beef ribs for barbecue
If you are having a picnic with friends, then in the evening prepare the ribs and make the marinade so that in the morning they will be well soaked in sauce and quickly cooked in the heat of the fire.
To prepare it, you need such components:
- natural honey - 2 tablespoons;
- garlic - 8 cloves;
- "Russian" mustard - 3 tbsp. l .;
- the same amount of soy sauce;
- chili pepper - 1 piece;
- crushed root of fresh ginger - 1 tbsp. l .;
- a pinch of salt.
As you can see, in this case both soy sauce and salt are added, since they take 2 kg of meat for such an amount of marinade, so do not worry, there will be no salty kebab. Put the ribs in a container and pour them with marinade, mix with your hands so that all the meat is combined with the sauce. Pickle should be at least 4 hours, but it is advisable to leave it in the sauce until morning.
Then the usual cooking, as for any barbecue. You can serve meat to the table with any fresh or baked vegetables.
Korean recipe
This recipe for delicious ribs was invented in Korea and is used by cooks in many restaurants. To prepare a marinade for 2.5 kg of ribs use:
- sesame oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
- sesame seeds - the same amount;
- green onion feathers - 3 pieces;
- 1 onion;
- sugar - 2/3 cup;
- garlic - 5 cloves;
- hot chili pepper powder - half a teaspoon.
Peel the onion and garlic and finely chop into cubes. Wash the green onions and chop them into rings. Just mix the rest of the products in containers, add the chopped vegetables and combine again. Put the marinade in the pan and add the meat. Hands grease all ribs with sauce and put in a cool place for at least 8 hours. Then the meat can be cooked either in the oven or on the grill. When serving, sprinkle the ribs with fresh green onion slices and sesame seeds.
As you can see, marinades for cooking soft and tender meat on ribs can include completely different elements. For softening always use some kind of acid. This can be chopped onions or green onions, vinegar - alcohol or balsamic, juice of lemon, kiwi or orange, diced tomatoes. Vegetable oil in the marinade contributes to the formation of a beautiful golden crust on meat during baking.
The remaining spices are added to your liking. If you like spicy dishes, then use powdered red pepper or fresh chili. If you like spices, then add coriander or caraway seeds. Fresh marinade of dill or parsley will perfectly complement the marinade, and anyone who loves cilantro can add it.