Name: Tuscan Style Ribs (Rosticciana)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed; 1 rounded teaspoon rosemary leaves; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 rack St. Louis style ribs or baby back ribs, trimmed; 1 clove garlic, sliced; pinch of salt; 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/4 cup olive oil

Tuscan Style Ribs (Rosticciana)

These Tuscan style ribs, or Rosticciana, are grilled relatively quickly to a beautiful rusty red, and drizzled with a bright citronette, a lemon-garlic dressing. They are pleasurably chewy and intensely delicious, proving that low and slow is not the only way to go when cooking ribs.

4 hr 50 min total 25 min prep 20 min cook 4 1150 cal

Instructions

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1 Crush fennel seeds in a mortar until coarsely ground. Add rosemary; crush for a few seconds until rosemary is bruised and fragrant. Stir in salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder.
2 Cut ribs apart by slicing in between each bone with a sharp knife. Press ribs back together, sprinkle 1/3 of rub mixture on the bottom (bone side) of ribs, and rub in firmly. Sprinkle remaining rub on the meat side, and press in firmly.
3 Stack half the ribs on top of the other half, and place into a resealable plastic bag. Squeeze out the air, seal tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 and up to 18 hours.
4 Before grilling, make lemon garlic dressing. Crush garlic and salt in a mortar, then stir or whisk in rosemary, lemon juice, and olive oil.
5 Prepare a charcoal grill for medium-high heat. Grill ribs, turning every 3 to 4 minutes to grill all sides, for about 20 to 30 minutes. An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat and touching the bone should read 180 to 185 degrees F (82 to 85 degrees C). Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
6 Drizzle with lemon garlic dressing to serve. When done, the meat will not be falling off the bone, but should come off relatively cleanly when bitten. Serve with any remaining dressing on the side, and fresh lemon wedges.