Name: Wine-Braised Spareribs with Garlic and Rosemary
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Ingredients: ½ cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped coarse; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 10 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; 1 tablespoon table salt; 1 tablespoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 (2½- to 3-pound) racks St. Louis—style spareribs , trimmed; 1 cup dry white wine

Why This Recipe Works

This easy, straightforward recipe for oven-roasted ribs uses a superconcentrated paste of seasonings common to Italian pork recipes: garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. In the spirit of the best Italian cooking, these ingredients are employed to enhance, and not cover up, the natural pork flavor of the ribs. It's a lighter and more elegant approach than smoky, saucy barbecued ribs, and it's easier and faster, too. For more flavor, we covered the ribs and braised them in a little white wine (meat side down) before flipping them and browning them meat side up, creating a crispy crust. We prefer the slightly smaller St. Louis—style ribs (each rack weighing 2½ to 3 pounds), which fit better side by side on a baking sheet for roasting (or on a backyard grill) because the bones and meat from the brisket section have been removed. They cook more quickly and evenly, too.

Before You Begin

One ¾-ounce package of rosemary is enough to yield ½ cup of leaves.

Instructions

Combine rosemary, oil, garlic, salt, fennel seeds, pepper flakes, and pepper in food processor. Pulse mixture until finely chopped, 15 to 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Rub ribs evenly with paste and place meat side down in rimmed baking sheet. Cover sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Add wine to sheet with ribs. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove foil and flip ribs meat side up. Continue to roast, uncovered, until meat is tender and well browned, about 1¾ hours longer.

Let ribs rest for 20 minutes. Transfer ribs to cutting board and slice racks between ribs. Serve.